Alexandra Riddle
by Ashley Walling
Summary: Eh...better summary inside. I suck enough at summaries I've hated them since 2nd grade but it's even harder when there is a character limit. Anyway-it's another Voldemort daughter fic. *watches as everyone skips over the story to read something else*
1. AN

So I found this story in the deepest, darkest corners on my files. After a bit of dusting off (including several shocking and incredibly obvious errors) I finally decided to post it. Anyway-I wrote this a long time ago so yeah…it kinda sucks. Some chapters are really LONG but some are really SHORT because I separated them each time a scene or a point of view changes. So anyway-be gentle, but tell me all the mistakes I made. I read through it once but it was really late so I don't know how focused I was and I'm sure I screwed up some things. I'd appreciate not being told that it sucks (No use in pointing out the obvious) but if that is your opinion than please feel free! Don't forget to R&R!

In case you didn't get it from the summary-it's another one of those Voldemort's daughter fics (Go ahead-groan) and if I tell you it's different than the others-you won't believe me.

But it IS different! What if there was no such thing as Harry's Prophecy? What if James, Sirius, and Lily are all aurors (along with Remus as members of the Order as well)? What if war has been raging for YEARS longer? What if Harry never got the lightning scar?

**A/N: **Mentions of torture (Come on-it's another Voldemort's daughter fic), and some language but not much (swearing kinda annoys me)

**DISCLAIMER:** I own none of the Harry Potter characters. Which I'm going to guess you guys already knew in the first place. But I'm gonna play with the story all I want! Anyway-I only created Alex and Timothy. *sighs* But I don't own them-they own me. Siriusly-Alex threatened me at wandpoint to write this fic! So review or maybe she'll hex YOU! Anyway-read on if you haven't run away from the crazy person yet. Have fun!


	2. Chapter 2

"Don't bother."

The wand was extended towards her, but she ignored it, her eyes fixed on the man staring defiantly at the bastard that was her father, unable to speak, and unable to move.

"You _will_ do it," he commanded the girl.

"My answer has not changed since the day you offered. I will not."

"Why?" he demanded.

_Because you made a mistake. Because you chose to make me suffer the fate in thought that I would cast the same fate on others to get revenge. _

"Does it matter?" she drawled.

"No. You will do it anyway."

"I have never before," she told him. "Why should I today? Or any day?"

"Because you know what will happen if you don't."

"I do. Who is he? What is he to you?"

"Remus Lupin. He is a friend of James and Lily Potter. We want him on our side. He is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He is a werewolf."

He knew he had struck a nerve. Sam hated werewolves ever since her _delightful_ meeting with Fenrir Greyback. She shifted, still staring at the man in front of her.

His gaze penetrated hers, as if he knew that his fate lay not in the man he strove to fight against, but the girl that was as old as his nephew. He had brown eyes, and his brown hair was prematurely graying. There was dried blood on his patched robes.

She held out her hand for the first time ever to receive the wand to torture another human being. She had never done so before. That had been his mistake. He had tortured her in an attempt to make her want to torture others but it didn't work. She did not feel pleasure hearing other people's screams. She did not feel pleasure watching people break and die.

But evidently, he thought he had her, and so did Lupin, for a different emotion flared in his eyes-not defiance, not fear, not even hatred. Was it…pity?

And he kept looking at her. There was something she saw in him that she never saw from anyone else-that she had never thought to act. How could she? Why had she been so stupid all these years?

Her brain calculated everything. She was an accomplished Occlumens, she knew. She was an accomplished everything. Pain tended to be a high motivator. She was grateful for that skill now as she thought hard.

"Any day now," the cold voice said. She heard the amusement, and the triumph in his voice. That skill, she had achieved without instruction. She could usually read people quite well. That was one of the reasons she could never torture a human being.

The prisoner-Lupin-was ready. He would not break easily, even if he did break at all. The wand could not be called _her_ wand. It had not chosen her, merely been given to her, that is, stolen from another person that had been murdered, she assumed.

But Lupin would fight. She checked him over. He appeared uninjured, despite the dried blood on his robes. Now was the time. She would have to try, and pray it would work.

Everything her father had taught her, would set her free. An experienced duelist, her wand swapped from being pointed at the prisoner to her father. She could not bring herself to kill him-it was not as easy as anyone said, and she had seen too much death and was revolted by it, despite her father's best attempts to make her find pleasure in it.

"_Stupefy_," she said calmly. Her father, Voldemort, crumpled to the floor without a sound.

The prisoner was surprised, and confused. "I really am sorry," she said. "_Stupefy."_

She made the prisoner levitate with her wand. She opened the doors and stepped through. She closed the door quickly.

"My lady, where is your father?"

"He is _not _to be disturbed, you understand Dolohov? I am to dispose of the prisoner. Step aside." Her tone was bossy.

"Yes, my Lady."

She faced no other troubles as she stepped out of the place. There was no way to disapparate just yet. It would be a long walk before she could disapparate her and the prisoner somewhere.

With a jolt, she realized she had never been out of headquarters. She had no place _to_ apparate except other headquarters.

The prisoner would know where to go….hopefully.


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up unbound. It was sunny, yet he was alert. Where was he? He had a headache, but nothing else hurt.

"Sorry about the spell," she said conversationally. "It was the only thing I could think of. I apologize if I have given you a headache."

He said nothing, but he pulled himself into a sitting position. After only silence met her words, she continued. "You are Lupin, correct?"

He nodded stiffly, but then his curiosity got the better of him. "Who are you? Where are we?"

"Outside the anti-apparation fields," she answered.

He decided not to press that she did not answer the first question.

"Did you…save me?"

"I saved myself. You were my ticket out. I needed a reason to be leaving the castle." That wasn't quite true. There was something about the man that had sparked her reason to leave the castle, and save him as well.

"Besides," she continued. "I need you. I, for one, have nowhere to apparate to. Would you mind?"

Was this a trick? Was he trying to get him to take her to Order Headquarters?

She seemed to sense his thoughts. "Preferably, anywhere. I do not know how long it will take him to figure out where we are."

Trick or not, she was just a kid-fifteen, perhaps. He couldn't just leave her. He stood up. "I'll need a wand."

She handed over hers quickly, and Remus noticed her sleeve fall back as she reached upward to hand it to him. She had been holding the wand with her left hand. The sleeve fell back as she took the wand, though she read his expression. He had seen. _I am such an idiot. He's going to kill me on the spot._

But he did not. Finally, she said. "I suppose I am your prisoner now. Odd, how the roles have been reversed." She spoke with such formality, that he almost imagined a grown woman speaking, not a teenage girl.

Yet there was something childish about the way her head cocked to the right thoughtfully.

"Grab my arm," he said lightly. She did, and then shivered. It _was_ a rather cold autumn morning.

_Pop._

They were in a house. It sounded empty, though the girl could not be completely sure. "Where are we?" she asked.

"My place," Lupin answered. It _did_ seem to fit the man. It was not the nicest house, but it was homey, well, except for the destroyed and upturned furniture.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he retrieved a jar on top of a mantle.

"Calling my friends," he answered.

"How?" she asked curiously. Remus smiled. The girl certainly _sometimes_ seemed like a child.

"Floo powder," he said as if it explained everything.

"Will you show me how it works?"

"Don't you know?" he asked, baffled. The girl was clearly a brilliant witch. How could she have never heard of Floo Powder?

"No, I expect there are plenty of things I don't know, and plenty more I do." There was that adult tone again. Remus sighed.

He shot fire out of his wand and made a fire. The girl wanted to take a step back, but she held her ground as the fire roared to life.

"You just throw a bit in," he said. "Of the Floo Powder. And it can transport you somewhere or allow you talk to someone." He threw a bit in and the flames roared, turning emerald green. This time, she did take a step back, but she heard Lupin say "Godric's Hollow" as he stuck his head in the fire.

"James?"

"Remus?" she heard. "Are you alright? What's happened? Your house was ransacked-"

"Yes-it's, er, a long story involving Voldemort and some kid death eater. Can you come up?"

_Kid death eater. _That stung more than she thought it would.

"Yeah-sure. I'll be there in a moment. Let me tell Lily."

Lupin took his head out of the fire, and waited, studying the girl. She shifted uncomfortably. James Potter stepped out of the fire a minute later.

"Remus! I-hold on. What is my animagus form?"

"A stag," he answered.

"Knew it was you anyway. What's going on? And who is she?"

"Are you…James Potter?" she asked cautiously without, James was glad to note, a wand.

James glanced at Remus. _She's just a kid. What harm can she be? _"Yeah, why?"

She didn't know what she was expecting. After hearing stories about James Potter, she had imagined something similar to a muggle superhero, not a man with untidy black hair. He was head of the aurors, and beat Voldemort every time. She shrugged. "I was only wondering."

"Who are you?" James asked.

"I…Does it matter?"

"Yes," James answered, looking at her suspiciously.

Her hands clasped behind her back. "Alexandra Merope Riddle." She swallowed, and looked James Potter in the eye. "Though I suppose I would be known to you as Voldemort's daughter." She shuddered.

"Voldemort's-?" Remus started in disbelief.

"Daughter, yes."

"There were rumors," James said, glancing at Remus.

"The prophecy," Remus said thoughtfully.

"Pardon?" she asked. _Am I going to live?_

"We need to get Dumbledore," James said. _I am dead._

"Agreed," Remus said.

"I'll go," James said. "You watch her."

Remus nodded, and James went on his way with Floo Powder.

Alexandra glanced around anxiously. "I can…help clean up?" she offered. She glanced around a second time. "Bellatrix, I'd say. Seems like her usual chaos. Lucius is too…careful, though no less dangerous. I'd rather see him, however. Bellatrix is just plain annoying, you agree?"

"Actually, there were quite a few death eaters here, though you are correct. Bellatrix was one."

She cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Lupin…I believe it was…Bellatrix, Dolohov, Lucius, Severus, and…Rodolphus. Yes, I'm quite sure those were the ones assigned for the Lupin Raid. I remember…they were waiting to make sure an auror wasn't there-Nymphadora Tonks? It seemed they would have needed to send more if she had been there. Are you really that powerful?"

Remus was shocked by the way she seemed to know…_everything._

"I'd like to know more about you, if you don't mind," he said.

"Do I have a choice?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

She scoffed. "You're the one with the wand. I don't believe I do."

"I'm not going to kill you," he said.

"I know-you'd have done so already. And you want information, it seems, so what good would I be dead?"

"I'm not going to hurt you either. I'm not a death eater."

She paused, unbelieving. "I'll take your word for it. What do you want to know?"

"What was he trying to make you do? Kill me?" he asked.

"No-torture you. He's yet to make me. I never have."

"Why not if you're his daughter?" _Surely she's as warped as he is._

"Because he made a mistake. When I was young…very young…he subjected me to the crutiatus curse. I do believe that he meant for me to use that experience to act on vengeance-to make others suffer. That is not what happened. I began to _understand_ the screams happening in the cellars."

Remus swallowed. Her words were so formal. "What would have happened if you had not tortured me, and you had not stunned him?"

She shrugged. "Whatever. The crutiatus…the bone-breaking…the same he would have expected me to use on you, and then he'd just have another death eater do the same to you."

"Then why do you not do what he says?"

"Because I don't have the stomach. Because I have been tortured too many times, and because I have watched people be tortured too many times. Because I fall asleep listening to people's screams, when I sleep at all. Because I have seen too many people die…and not just people who resist him…kids, muggles…"

"Why me Alexandra?"

"I don't know." She seemed to cringe, as if he had lifted his wand. "I really don't!" She sounded scared now…like a scared little kid.

"I told you I wasn't going to hurt you. I won't."

"Why not?"' she demanded.

"Because I'm one of the good guys."

She stared at him thoughtfully. "There are no such thing."

The fireplace roared to life, and someone's head was in the fire.

"Remus, Miss Riddle. I would like you to come to my office, please."

"Yes sir," Remus said.

The head disappeared. "Come on," Lupin said.

"I've never used Floo Powder. Can't we apparate?"

"We're going to Hogwarts."

"Was that Dumbledore?"

"Yes, now-just throw a bit in, step into the fire, and say 'Professor Dumbledore's Office' very clearly. Can you do that?"

She grabbed a bit of Floo Powder. "You realize I could betray you? I could say a different name into the fire?"

"I do."

The green eyes met the brown. She dropped the Floo Powder, and stepped in. "Professor Dumbledore's Office."

Everything spun, but she finally stepped out into Dumbledore's Office. She brushed off her robes, and looked around, coughing from the soot. She spotted an old man, and knew immediately that he was Dumbledore.

She crouched to her knee in a bow. "Professor Dumbledore," she said. She had never felt more unsure in her life.

"Miss Riddle," he said, studying her. She did not move. "You do not need to bow to me."

She stood slowly, and then studied him, wisely stepping away from the fire when Lupin arrived. James Potter was there still as well, but he squeezed Remus's shoulder and told him he had to get back to Lily. He stepped into the fire and disappeared.

He was old, and had a long, white beard. He certainly had an air of power that seemed somehow greater than her father's. Her eyes moved up his face to his blue eyes, so unlike Voldemort's red ones. They were kind, yet piercing. She held his gaze for a moment, wondering what secrets he knew, how much knowledge was hidden behind those eyes.

Remus stood still. Few could meet the headmaster's eyes, and he thought it extraordinary that Voldemort's _daughter_ could.

Remus was hungry, and more than a little tired, but he had only been missing for about a day, he thought, and he had been unconscious most of the time.

"Remus, perhaps you should go with James as well. You would do well with some rest."

Remus wanted to, but he was too curious, and he noticed how the girl tensed as if she was scared, but studying her face carefully, it didn't show.

"I'd like to stay, if you don't mind, Professor."

"As you wish. If you were wondering, Nymphadora is still on her mission."

"Nymphadora?" Alexandra blurted out suddenly. "Nymphadora Tonks? Blood-traitor niece of Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Now hold on-!" Remus started, but was silenced with a look from Dumbledore.

"Is she going to Knockturn Alley's Dragon Fire to meet an informant? August 15th? One pm?"

"Yes-today is August 15th…how do you know this?" Dumbledore asked.

"Damn it!" she cursed. "You have to call her off. It's a trap. She'll be captured."

"How do you know this?" Dumbledore repeated calmly.

"In the likely event that Remus Lupin does not cooperate," she said from memory. "Bellatrix Lestrange is free to have blood-traitor Nymphadora Tonks to _make _him talk." She paused. "Which means that since he is not there…she will likely be killed, or captured to provoke him into going in after her."

"Where is she now?"

"Probably already at Dragon Fire to check for traps early on," Dumbledore replied. "Go get her Remus."

He nodded, and used Floo Powder to get back to his place, to apparate to Knockturn Alley.

"How did you hear of this?" Dumbledore asked her immediately.

"Because he wanted me in charge of the torture of Remus Lupin, so he told me the plan, even if he did not really expect me to do it."

"What do you mean?"

"I have never tortured anyone before, though he has tried to make me for the past two years. He has tortured me since…I don't know, as long as I can remember. It was meant to make me want to inflict pain upon others, but it did not work. The screams I heard beneath my bedroom…I understood them. I don't know why I escaped using Lupin. The thought had never occurred to me before. I honestly don't know sir, really."

Though usually, repeating one's innocence more than once was almost a declaration of guilt, he could tell she was telling the truth. After all, she sounded scared, as if he would not find her sufficient and torture or kill her.

"Veritaserum? Would you like me to take a truth potion?" she asked.

"I have no intention of making you…" _But it would make it so he would never have to doubt a word she said._

"But do you think it would be best?" she asked.

He nodded, and called Severus using the Floo Powder. Right after Severus said he'd get the potion, though Alexandra was not paying attention and hadn't heard who was bringing the Potion. Right after he'd disappeared, Remus's head was in the fire.

"We're at Sirius's. Tonks is fine. We got out before any death eaters were even there, I believe."

Alexandra glanced at the clock. It was one. Surely they would have arrived early? Fifteen minutes later, Snape came in and dropped off the Potion.

"Snape!" she hissed.

"What is _she_ doing here?" he asked disgustedly.

Her hands were shaking. Every death eater had tortured her at least once, even Snape.

Dumbledore put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from leaping at Snape.

"Severus, I will explain later. Could you set the potion aside?"

Snape stiffly left the potion there and left.

"He's a death eater," she said.

Dumbledore did not say anything, but retrieved the potion from across the room. She stood up and opened her mouth to say something again but pain erupted from her left arm and she was forced to her knees.

She didn't scream, at first, but then she had to as the pain forced her to her stomach.

_You traitor! You lost us the werewolf and the blood-traitor! You are to come back here immediately! I don't care how-just don't say anything else!_

"Why should I?" Dumbledore heard her grunt. There was nothing he could do.

_Because your _friend_ Timothy is alive, and he will pay the price if you breath another word._

The pain stopped, and Alexandra lay on the floor, panting. _Timothy…_ She had thought him dead…he had told her he was dead. Timothy was a boy her own age who had supposed to have been the first that she was to torture, but she didn't. Her father had said he'd killed him. She _had _escaped before, and a boy had _befriended _her. She had been thirteen, and her father had tried his hardest to make her torture him, to take away her _feelings._ And when he couldn't…he'd killed him. Or he'd kept him locked up until a day came when he'd have his uses.

"Miss Riddle…are you alright?"

She forced her eyes open. The door…She scrambled up and bolted but didn't make it to the door before magic made her fall. Dumbledore had made her trip, but her head crashed against the desk and she passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

She woke up in what must have been a hospital bed. Her head was killing her, but she'd felt worse.

_Timothy._ Tears started to blur her vision and she wiped her eyes defiantly.

"Are you alright?" _Dumbledore._

She made a point about ignoring him. _Couldn't he help? …No. I can't take that chance. _

He was saying something, but Alexandra was too busy thinking to care.

_How much time do I have before he kills him for thinking I _have _betrayed him? How long?_

There was someone else-Remus Lupin, and a pink-haired woman. Alexandra's stomach churned. She had forced Timothy away from her thoughts. _Now _she knew why she had saved the prisoner-Lupin. He had the same brown eyes, the same brown hair (minus the gray), and he had the same second-hand robes.

"Hello Alexandra, are you alright?" he said. He sat on the opposite side Dumbledore was, Tonks in a chair beside him.

She had turned her face away from Dumbledore, but now it made her face the couple. She stared at the ceiling, still wondering if she would find a chance, somewhere, to leave.

But all day, there was always one of them with her! It was so frustrating. She had been with Lupin for about an hour and it was driving her mad. It didn't help that he reminded her so much of Timothy…he seemed to be a bookworm, and had more than once offered her some chocolate, which she had only tasted once with Timothy.

"Please," she said, finally not being able to hold back the tears. "My friend will die. Let me go back, please. I saved your life. Please let me go back."

"You're just a kid."

"Yes-I am." The words poured out of her mouth even though years had taught her not to show emotion. "I am a scared kid little kid who wants to save my best mate. _Please-_he's the only friend I've ever had. _Please."_

He sighed. "What exactly do you need me to do?"

"Tell me the quickest way out of here and to the anti-apparition fields. _Please._ I do not need anything else."

_He'll kill Timothy the moment I'm back._

"No-wait. I need you to come with me-just to where we were before we disapparated to your place. I need you to wait there…for fifteen, no, twenty minutes. I can get Timothy out. I don't know if Voldemort will release him but I'll get him, and have him run to you. I can hold him off-somehow. If you don't see a kid in twenty minutes maximum, apparate away. Can you do that?" She fumbled. "No-forty minutes. I'll have to get there first. Can you?"

He wrung his hands for a moment. He could be there and back before Dumbledore noticed. His shift didn't end for another hour. There was no danger to him. If it happened to be a trap, he could apparate away since he would be out of the anti-apparition zone. He finally looked at her, the marauder's mind made up.

"I will, but what about you?"

"I'll stay behind," she said, her eyes not wavering. He shivered.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ah, so you did manage to get away. How?"

"Where is Timothy?"

"How?"

"Where is Timothy?"

"_Crucio!"_

She screamed. _Damn it! I don't have time for this!_

"Alright!" she shrieked. The pain stopped. He smirked. She would never submit this fast, even if it was just to be defiant. She must really like the kid. He could definitely use that to his advantage. "I convinced him he owed me because I saved his life, and made him tell me the quickest way out of Hogwarts. I apparated and walked the rest of the way." _More like ran like bloody hell. _"Let me see Timothy." She finally pulled herself off the ground.

He laughed his cold laugh, and led her into the cellars, deeper and deeper. _Good thing it's straight or Timothy would never find his way out._

He unlocked a door with his wand, and Alexandra glanced in. _There._

"Timothy?" she called out softly.

A groan met her ears. He was unscarred, and undamaged, because Voldemort did not want him disfigured if he'd prove to be useful.

It _was _him. She spun, tripping her father who was about to walk ahead of her, and she stomped his wand hand and then she whipped out hers (Remus had "borrowed" Tonks's.) and stunned him again. It would have been comical-him getting bested by a fifteen-year-old, but he had taught her everything he knew, something he was surely starting to regret.

"Can you run?" she asked him, pulling him up.

"Alex?"

She smiled in spite of herself, but wiped the smile away.

"Can you run?" she asked, and the urgency in her voice heightened.

"I-yeah, I think." But when he stood, he stumbled.

Alexandra closed her eyes in aggravation, calculating. "_Sanitas_," she muttered, pointing her wand at him.

His feet grew steady on the ground. He was stronger, and there was a stronger glow in his eye as tiredness evaporated.

"What did you-?"

"We don't have time. There's a man. I will lead you in the right direction and just keep running straight-as fast as you can, got it? He will take you someplace safe. Tell him I used a strength-rejuvenating Charm on you. It's dangerous, if over-used, and you'll need to rest as soon as you can. Don't forget."

"What about you?"

"I'm going in a different direction, to a different person. The man's name you'll be with is Remus. He will explain everything when you are safe, alright? I will see you again soon."

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were dead. I just found out today. Please Timothy, _now._ Come on, follow me. I will run alongside you until I can't. Just keep running _no matter what, _understand?"

He nodded. "Come on."

She grabbed his hand and they raced outside, past death eaters, confused. Do they attack their Master's daughter, or not? Alexandra had been counting on their confusion, and so far, their luck was holding out. She kept racing, letting go of Timothy's hand because with the spell, he was faster than her. She said for him to go ahead, and that she was right behind him.

Then the curses started. "Run straight!" she screamed, casting a powerful shield charm. "Don't turn back for anything!"


	6. Chapter 6

Half an hour passed. Remus was uneasy, wondering…not wanting to get caught, thinking how stupid it was for him to be here, with no one knowing…no back-up.

Then a kid came running towards him. "Are you Remus?" he asked urgently. He looked pale and thin, and his tired eyes looked like he shouldn't be up to physical fitness that took him to run that fast and long.

"Yes-are you Alexandra's friend?"

"Yes."

There was the faint sound of shouting, too far away to even see, and barely able to hear.

"Let's go." He grabbed the kid's hand and apparated to Sirius's house, knowing his house was way too obvious.

"Remus-what-? Who-?"

"Fire-call Dumbledore. I don't think he's going to be very happy with me."

"Remus-"

"Just do it, Sirius, please."

"Alex told me to tell you that she put a strength-rejuvenating Charm on me, sir."

"You'll be fine," Remus said absentmindedly. "You'll just need to rest, though when it wears off, you'll probably fall straight asleep."

He nodded, and Remus sat down, so he did too. "When is Alex getting here?"

_Alex? Oh-Alexandra. For some reason Alex seemed to suit her way better. _Remus frowned. "What exactly happened?"

"She tripped her fath-" He stopped, eyeing Remus.

"I know Voldemort is her father."

He breathed again. "She tripped him and stunned him with her wand and then she came over to me and just asked if I could run."

"Did she say anything about meeting you here?"

"Yeah-she said she was going to be running in a different direction when I asked. She said she was meeting someone else and that she'd meet me here. She said she'd explain when she got here. She said she had thought I was dead, and that's why she hadn't come sooner. Where-?"

He stopped at the look on Remus's face. "There was no one else to take her here, was there?" he asked in a small voice.

"No-she asked me to come get you. She said she would hold everyone off-somehow. I don't know how."

"We have to get her back!" he said, suddenly sitting up. _Merlin-I'm going to kill her!_

"After what she risked to get you here? She knew what she was doing!" Remus said.

"What exactly _is _she doing, Remus?"

Dumbledore was here.

"Timothy Warren? Hufflepuff, I believe, correct? You disappeared before your third year."

"Professor Dumbledore. Sir, Alex is back there. We have to save her."

"Remus-what happened? And why did Miss Riddle leave the castle?"

Remus sighed. "Because I helped her. She said she needed help saving a friend. The mission was of no danger to me, for if it was a trap-which it wasn't-I could have disapparated at any moment."

"Unless they extended the anti-apparation fields."

"I would have known before they were up, and I would have gotten out of there."

"You risked one kid's life for another. What made you?"

"Honestly, sir? It seemed like the sort of thing that James, Sirius, Peter, or I would have done for the other. And she was convinced Timothy was going to die. She would not die because of the prophecy."

"If I may ask," Sirius started. "What the hell is going on here?" He said it with an air of calm that would have been funny in different circumstances.

Dumbledore looked at Sirius. "Sirius, get Mr. Warren into a room for rest. Then, we shall explain."

"But-!" Timothy started.

"Timothy, I know it is hard, but we need to gather _our _facts together before we can begin to be able to explain. Not one of us knows everything, and we need to sort through what we _do_ know. I promise-we will not keep you in the dark forever."

Reluctantly, Timothy nodded, and followed Sirius.

When Sirius came back, they began to explain. This is what they knew:

Alexandra Merope Riddle was the daughter of Lord Voldemort. There was an old prophecy that stated as thus _"There will come a time when the Dark Lord shall bear a child. Only this child will have the ability to make him invulnerable and immortal. But the child will have to make a choice, and that choice will determine if the Dark Lord lives or dies." _Unlike most prophecies, that one was pretty straight-forward, but there were always two outcomes to prophecies. As usual, Voldemort's spy only heard the first half before rushing off to tell his master, he did not know of the fast that the child could kill him as well. Dumbledore knew, because the spy had been caught and confessed, repeating the prophecy to the word 'immortal.'

They also knew that somehow Alexandra had met Timothy, the orphan boy who had disappeared at the age of thirteen. They knew that for some reason, Alexandra thought Timothy dead until just recently.

They knew that she risked her life for Timothy-to set him free, but at what costs? She would not be killed, but she had no idea what the prophecy was. Evidently, her father had never told her.

"She's a good kid. Voldemort would never risk his life to save anyone," Dumbledore said wisely.

"But how? Voldemort _is _her father? How can she be…self-sacrificing?"

"Blood doesn't determine everything," Sirius said.

Wasn't that a fact? Sirius Black came from a family of awful Slytherins, and he was a Gryffindor, and completely against Voldemort.

Finally, Timothy was filled in, and then they asked him questions. "How did you meet Miss Riddle?"

"She was running, but she was hurt. I half-carried, have walked her to the hospital. She was almost thirteen, and I had turned thirteen in March…It was over the summer. I wondered why she wasn't in Hogwarts and eventually she told me everything."

"But I liked her too much to care that her father was Voldemort. She wasn't like him at all. Sure, she seemed not to understand many of the things people say Voldemort doesn't understand…love, mercy, friendship, kindness…But she was learning. I'd definitely call her my best mate, but then her father found us."

"We were both being tortured. At first, together, but I think it made him angry when she reached out to me. She'd try and grab hold of my hand…like she was trying to comfort me…So he put us separate, but we could still here the other's screams. Then, she was standing over me, and there were wands pointed at her…and Voldemort was trying to convince her to…to torture me, I think. She was crying, and she wouldn't, and then she was screaming because have a dozen wands shot her with the crutiatus curse. I never saw her again…"

"They didn't really torture me while I was there. I think he was afraid that she would hear and know I was alive, now I come to think about it. But it was always dark, and I was always hungry…"

In fact, he was for the first time in a long time, not feeling hungry at all. It must have been that charm.

"And then she found me, and you know the rest."

"We know too little," Remus said.

"We do," Dumbledore agreed.

"Only one thing we do know," Sirius said.

"Oh?" Remus said, though he had a feeling he knew what was coming.

"We save her, of course!"

Even though Remus knew it was coming, it didn't make it sound any less stupid. Timothy was nodding emphatically.

"How do you expect to do that, Sirius? How do you expect to take someone right under Voldemort's nose? For all we know, she _wanted _to go back," Remus said, though he wasn't sure he quite believed that last part.

"She didn't," Timothy said quietly. "She kept on running after me until the death eaters decided that she wasn't doing what she was told. Last I saw her, she was putting up a _really_ powerful shield charm. If she could have gone with me, she would have."


	7. Chapter 7

Alexandra forced her arm to cooperate and wipe her face clear before her father noticed. Her aching body didn't want to move after so long under the crutiatus curse, but she had to make it.

"Get up." The command was issued quietly, and Alexandra forced her head to look over at him. How could this man be her _father?_ She wondered that often, and used to like to pretend that he wasn't-that she was some girl he kidnapped, and that her _real_ parents would come and save her and everything would be okay. That was _crap-_nothing more than childish daydreams, and Merlin knew she didn't have time for _them._

"Get up," he commanded again, never patient, but he must know how difficult it is to gather your thoughts after the crutiatus. Well, he must guess. After all, _he_ had never faced it.

Alexandra forced herself to her knees, unsure. If she stood, that could be a mistake, but if he wanted her to stand, kneeling could be a mistake.

"Rise." Only then did she dare to force her weight onto her legs. Her limbs were exhausted, and simply did not want to cooperate.

"Stand up straight!" _Now_ he was getting impatient with her. She forced her trembling shoulders back, and locked her knees, else she'd never be able to stand straight now. Her long brown was to her shoulder blades, and some strands were plastered to her sweaty forehead.

"Now go to your room."

"Yes Father." Her voice came out hoarse, and her throat was raw from screaming.

She staggered out the door and a death eater fell into step behind her-Dolohov. He was powerful, and not the smartest, but he was a right bit smarter than Crabbe, or Goyle for that matter.

Of course he wouldn't let her roam alone anymore-he didn't trust her. Well, he had never trusted her before, but the idea of escape, especially after Timothy, had never occurred to her. He was always somewhat blinded by her. It wasn't fatherly love for a daughter, oh no. There was no way in hell that would ever happen.

If she had known about the prophecy, she would know that he got distracted by her with thoughts of immortality and power. _That _was why she had accomplished the no-small feat of stunning him _twice._ It would not happen again. All the death eaters would no longer head her commands, and she would not step a foot out of the castle without being accompanied by Voldemort.

But Alexandra didn't know anything about a prophecy. How could she?

So she staggered into her room upstairs, locking the door behind her, wishing for at least a window to see the world, completely ignorant of the reason that a Dark Wizard like Voldemort kept her alive.

"Timothy's safe now," she whispered to herself, sinking into her bed. Green and silver of Slytherin, it had never been inviting. It was probably one of the most comfortable beds in the world, but that didn't make it _inviting._ Nothing about the house was _inviting._

"He's safe, and that's all that matters."


	8. Chapter 8

Loud knocking at the door. "My lady! It's time for your lessons! Get ready! You have ten minutes!"

Ten minutes. Alexandra almost snorted. It took about ten seconds to get dressed, and she had not even changed into her pajamas last night.

She untangled herself from the covers and forced herself to stand. She felt dizzy for a few seconds, but it must still be the after-effects of the crutiatus curse. She stretched her worn-out limbs and crossed to her closet.

She grabbed a black T-shirt, and green Capri's. She found black socks, and black tennis shoes. She brushed her hair quickly in front of the bathroom mirror, and pulled it up into a high ponytail. She wrapped a second silver and dangly hair tie around the ponytail.

_Slytherin._ _Timothy_ wasn't a Slytherin. He was a _Hufflepuff._ She cast the thoughts aside.

Alexandra would think no more of Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape, James Potter, and Timothy Warren. They were all safe, and in the past. Looking back would only make her be distracted, something she could never afford.

She brushed her teeth and still had several minutes to spare, but she opened the door anyway. Dolohov was no longer there but Nott was. He was an idiot, and Alexandra could have bested him if she wanted, but she would not be able to rely on the confusion of the death eaters this time. She was sure they were ordered that next time they saw her running for the door, hex her before she reached for the door knob. Besides, she didn't have her wand.

She didn't wait to see if he was going to follow because she knew he would, and she made her way downstairs. "Where am I headed, Nott?"

"Dining Room," he answered. She _was _hungry, but just because she was headed towards the dining room, didn't mean she was going to eat.

"Ah, Alexandra. Please sit." He gestured to the chair at his right.

"Narcissa, get my daughter something to eat."

"Yes my lord."

Alexandra kept her back straight and tried not to slouch, something she'd learnt quite early so that she could not even remember the painful lessons that must have come.

"Why him-werewolf-Remus Lupin?" he asked.

She had no doubt he would still crucio her even though they were at a table.

"I believe he reminded me of the boy, Father."

He nodded slowly, watching her with amused, red eyes.

"And why did you save the boy and come back?"

She blinked. _Friend_ was a word that one simply did not use in front of Lord Voldemort. "I owed him," she said, which was only half of a lie.

His eyes were definitely filled with malicious amusement as he watched her. Narcissa brought a plate, but Alexandra did not look at it.

"Did you _love _him Alexandra?"

_Yes._ But what would he do to him if she did say yes? And what was he expecting? What if she said no? Would he accuse her of lying?

"No." The word came out calm, and Alexandra almost believed it herself. Well, she always was a good liar.

He smirked. "You may eat."


	9. Chapter 9

"Remus, are you alright?" Tonks asked, coming out of the bedroom and into the living room in a magenta robe. Her hair matched the robe, and it was short and spiky.

He smiled. "I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep. Go back to bed."

She sat beside him and rested her head against his shoulder. "What's bothering you?"

His shoulders rose and fell.

"Alexandra Riddle?"

He hesitated, and then nodded. "She's just a kid, Dora."

"Then why did you let her go Remus?" It wasn't accusatory, but he needed to be asked. _He _needed to know why.

"Because…" he faltered. "Because I owed her."

"Is that all?" she asked.

"No…because…because if it had been me in her situation, and-and you in Timothy's…I would have done the same as her, and she needed my help to save him."

She squeezed his hand gently.

"Should I have done differently?" he asked her.

"I think that girl has a mind of her own, and she would have found a way somehow, with or without you. You saved a child today, Remus. Timothy is safe because that's what she wanted."

"I may have saved a child, Dora, but I also doomed one. Sirius is right; we have to save her, if not because she risked her own freedom to save Timothy…but because of the prophecy."

"But how exactly do you plan on getting her out, Remus?"


	10. Chapter 10

"_Angina_!"

The wooden figure's throat caved in on itself, and it crumpled to the floor. The suffocation curse. She _wouldn't _practice on real people. She just _wouldn't._

Still, Voldemort was sure she would get over it, and eventually see the pleasure of torturing, so he still taught her everything he knew. _One day, she'll get it right._

"_Rumpere Os!" _The wooden figure that had been pointing its wand at her back shattered with the bone-breaker curse.

"The killing curse!" he ordered through the window.

"_Avada Kadavra!"_

Green sparks flew, but nothing happened, and the wooden figure's wand shot out the crutiatus. She screamed, but kept a tight hold on her wand.

"_Reducto!" _she shrieked. It blasted into pieces. More wooden figures marched out as the difficulty got harder.

Their reflexes were slow, but the spells each was programmed with were easily aimed and carried out.

She ducked one and jumped another, she darted to the right, ducked another, and then rolled to the left. She brought herself up in something called an "Auror's crouch." He had never taught her _that._

She blasted spells, and then rolled away as five spells shot her previous spot. She blasted another spell, and rolled. Four. Blast, roll. Three. Blast, roll, two. Blast, roll, one. Blast.

She was sweating, but she had never made it this far. Ten figures came out, and the room was getting cramped.

"_Circincendia_!" she screamed, blasting a ring of fire around herself incinerating four before the figures put the fire out with water.

"_Aquecon!" _The water shooting out of their wands formed into a ball, trapping two of the figures inside. She kept control of the water ball while dodging four more figures. She did this for three and a half minutes, drowning the two figures. She made the giant water ball come crashing down upon another figure. There were three left.

"_Diffindo!" _Another was spouting black oil supposed to be blood. It clutched its side and she sent another cutting curse its way, and another.

She turned her back on the other two as that one fell.

She was thrown forcibly against the wall with a shock wave. _Crap! I dropped my wand! _She was barely holding onto consciousness but she forced herself to roll out of the way towards her wand.

"_Impedimenta_!" A figure fell flat on its face, and she used another cutting spell to slice a deep gash in its head.

"_Reducto!" _she screamed. She had passed. Every least level she had passed.

She panted, and sunk to the ground, still fighting for consciousness.

"Who has been teaching you?"

Blackness dotted her vision, and it was hard to focus. Someone was shaking her.

"Who has been teaching you?"

_Wasn't I supposed to learn how to fight? Why did he sound angry?_

"I have," she choked out. "Library."

"You _don't _learn auror techniques in the library!"

"The death crouch," she murmured. "In a death eater's recordings of watching a duel against Sirius Black. Taught to aurors among other methods of defensive and offensive stances."

"_Crucio!"_ Evidently trying to torture her, she didn't even scream before the blackness took her from consciousness.


	11. Chapter 11

Two Years Later

_On fire. Pain. Anger. Fear. …Power?_


	12. Chapter 12

"I want to join the Order of the Phoenix." Just out of his seventh year, and Timothy Warren walked straight up to the headmaster with his request. On protective detail with a member of the OOTP every summer, and he was sick of being protected, and there _had _been times he'd needed the protection, but he didn't like it.

But he studied harder in the summer than he did in the school year. Aurors were almost always willing to share their knowledge, and even if they were not an auror, they still were part of the OOTP and were just as powerful.

Dumbledore was not surprised. "Have a seat, Timothy." He sat, thinking in his mind's eye, that Alex would have leaned against the doorway and refused to sit. He almost smiled-almost.

"I understand what I'd be getting into, but I'm willing," Timothy said, voice unwavering.

"I know," Dumbledore said.


	13. Chapter 13

She was conscious, and her head ached. Had they left her here? Sometimes they did when she lost consciousness. She couldn't even remember what she had done this time, not that it mattered anyway.

But when she opened her eyes, and saw brown eyes, she leapt back in horror, despite the pain and her incredibly limited control of her limbs.

_Emotions in check._ "Don't tell me-we're right back where we started." Remus Lupin was currently a prisoner of Lord Voldemort.

He smiled weakly at her. "Hello Alexandra. How have you been?"

_Typical. Lupin did seem the type to act like nothing was wrong. _"Fine-until you showed up. Now I feel as if I'm going to vomit. I can't save you this time."

"I figured as much."

His tone was so _ordinary._ "Congratulations on your marriage. I would have sent flowers, but you know." He got married to Nymphadora Tonks two weeks ago.

He laughed, which made Alexandra laugh too, but doing so was a mistake. She started coughing up blood.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I will be, though one of these days they might accidentally kill me." She paused. "About two years ago…is he still safe?"

"Yes. Your plan went remarkably well."

"It won't work again," she replied. "How is he? I expect he's already graduated? Top of his class?"

"In everything, especially DADA." He paused. "He's working for the Order of the Phoenix."

"What?!" _Emotions in check. _She took a deep breath. "I did it to _protect _him! Not so he could grow up to get himself killed!"

"Alas, he seems to have a mind of his own-like you."

The door burst open. Alexandra flinched.

"Hello Alexandra…Lupin-what a pleasant surprise! I see you've become reacquainted with my daughter?"

Alexandra stood on shaky legs. "What is it you want from him this time, father?" she asked in a controlled voice.

"_Crucio!"_

She fell again to the ground, screaming. Remus would have leapt up if not for the ropes binding him.

The curse ended soon, for Voldemort was not really in the mood for torture at the moment, more manipulation.

"I do not remember telling you to rise, Alexandra. To your knees."

Her breathing came out hard and fast, but she forced her limbs to cooperate. After all, it was not difficult next to standing.

She kept her eyes on the ground, though Remus could see them burning. "What is it you want from the prisoner this time, father, if I may ask?"

"Not me. In fact, he was not the intended at all. It was Bellatrix who wanted Nymphadora."

"I suppose he got all noble and got in the way?" she asked, with a sidelong glance at Remus.

"Correct."

"Understandable."

"_What?"_

"You know how they are-they've been married two weeks. Obviously he sacrificed himself for _love._ I assume there's going to be another raid to get the blood traitor?"

_She is different. _

"Perhaps. It is up to Bellatrix. I have no participation in the matter."

"No-you're just the father giving her money to buy a new toy," she said, before she could stop herself.

"_Rumpere Os!" _ She screamed as a few ribs broke. She doubled over in pain.

"To your knees," he hissed.

Barely able to breathe, she forced herself to her knees again.

"Rise."

Gasping for breath, she stood on trembling legs.

"Now go to your room."

"No."

"No?"

"No," she repeated.

His wand rose. "Why not?"

"Because I owe this man."

"You owe him nothing! He is a filthy half-breed!"

"Wrong-he saved my best mate's life, and I am in his debt. I'll be damned if I step aside for Bellatrix, or for you."

_Anger-terrible anger._ Remus was surprised when he saw words forming on Voldemort's lips.

"_Avada Ka-!"_

He stopped, in mid-spell. _She didn't even flinch! _

"_Infinitus_." The eternity spell, at least until the same person decided to come back and stop it or the castor was dead. The castor did not need to keep the spell going on the victim. "_Crucio_."

He left her there, screaming. Remus's bonds vanished.

She writhed on the ground, convulsing. The spell was not as bad as it was if there was actually someone using it on her, but it was still unbearable pain.

She forced herself to stop screaming, not in front of him.

She was conscious of Remus's hand on her convulsing shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked. He sounded pained.

"One-thing," she gasped. "Knock-me-out."

"What?"

"The-eternity-spell-" She jerked harder. "Infinitus. It-makes-the-spell-stay-on-the-!" A short scream let her lips, and she forced herself under control. "Victim until-a.) the-castor-releases-it, b.) the-castor-is-dead, c.) the victim-is-dead, or d.)" She coughed, and blood sprayed out of her mouth. "The victim is-unconscious."

"I can't." His voice was barely over a whisper. She coughed again, and he realized when she coughed, she was containing screams.

"Please." A short scream did escape her, and then she started coughing again.

_But what if I end up killing her? _She screamed again, longer. The spell got worse as time went on. Her head went crashing onto the stone floor.

She stopped convulsing on the ground, which was good. Even if one is unconscious, they can still feel the crucio, and their body would continue to convulse unless-

Remus's heart beat against his ribcage until he saw her chest rise and fall.


	14. Chapter 14

A few hours later, she woke up again, but a minute passed until the spell got its bearings and started again.

"Thank you," she said through grit teeth. "I am sure that I would not be in control now if the spell had continued."

"I'm still sorry."

"Don't be-I asked you to."

There was a pause as she fought for control, trying to force her convulsing limbs to still and keep the scream from ripping through her bleeding throat.

"You don't owe me anything. I was repaying a debt when I saved your friend."

"I know. But I suppose that would make him owe you, I suppose, and his debts are mine."

"He's a good kid-speaks highly of you."

She coughed in what was supposed to be a snort. "I expect he's forgotten me by now."

"He hasn't."

She tried to scoff, but it again came out as a bloody cough. "It's been two years since I freed him, and four years since we've chatted as friends."

"He hasn't forgotten you. He's going to be become a member of the Order of the Phoenix because of you."

"Great-when I see his head, I'll feel very proud."

"You don't believe we'll win?" Remus inquired.

"I don't know. Evidently, I've had a biased view of the thing. I don't suppose you have a wand?"

"If I did, we wouldn't be sitting here."

"I figured as much," she grunted. The pain continued to build, but it was easy to be distracted with Remus. She pulled herself into a sitting position, crossing her legs like a child for story-time. Her fists were clenched in remarkable control. The loss of consciousness had thoroughly confused the curse. It was unsure whether or not to attack, so it was sending only a half-hearted attack on her. "But I had to ask."

"Why were you here in the first place? He said you have a room…?"

"Upstairs-much more comfortable, I might add. Less painful too." She managed a tight-lipped smile. "Though I must admit present company is quite better."

"So why were you here?"

"Ugh, _damn._ I can barely breathe," she muttered to herself. "The same as I've been doing for the past two years-helping prisoners escape."

Remus started. "Who?"

"I don't know-kids, mostly. But adults too…"

"Frank and Alice Longbottom? Kingsley Shacklebolt?"

"I really don't know. The names sound familiar…but that doesn't mean anything. Pain…it makes me forget." She coughed again, and her face twisted in agony. She shifted onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "And I could have heard the names from listening to the downstairs. My hearing is quite well. I can hear the screams from down here all into my bedroom." She grimaced, and a short scream escaped her before she forced it back.

"You really are a good person."

"I'm not-it's to my benefit. Their screams give me a headache."

"You try to make things seem that way-like everything you do is selfish, but it's not."

"I _am_ selfish."

"You're not. That's about as much rubbish as you had to save me before to have an excuse out of here."

"It's true. I pretended I was disposing of your body," she hissed, though more with pain than anger.

"You could have actually been doing that."

"I'm not a killer."

"Exactly."

"That doesn't make me a good person."

"Why are you arguing this? This is good! Do you want to be a bad guy?"

She stayed silent for a moment, and it was too dark to see her emotion, since he could only see her as a shadow. "Being here…as a good guy…you're punished for it. Forgive me if I have little faith. I haven't seen the sun in two years."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I made my choice knowing the consequences."

He hesitated. "If you can help others escape, can't you escape yourself?"

"No. They're looking for me, and I provide the distraction the person needs to get out of there. For all I know, they were killed before they could leave the grounds. For all I know, I am a killer."

He was about to respond to that when the door swung open again.

"Wittle Alexandra isn't screaming yet?"

"_Cruci-!"_

"Bellatrix!"

Light poured in from a wand and Remus blinked, the sudden light bringing colorful spots into his sight. He looked to Alexandra.

She was a mess. There was dried blood on her forehead, and she was sweating badly. Her eyes were bulging, and she was trembling. Her fists were clenched, and so were her teeth. Her face was red. She was really trying hard not to scream.

"_Consummatum." _She relaxed, taking a deep lungful of air, but then wincing, and then coughing up blood. He forced her head to the side to where there was dried blood.

"Don't touch her!" Remus hissed, and leapt.

"_Crucio!"_ Bellatrix squealed. Remus screamed.

"Leave him alone," Alexandra panted. Bellatrix was one of the few who _never _listened to her. The others were confused a lot, not knowing whether or not to obey her.

Ropes shot out of Voldemort's wand. "Let him be, Bellatrix. You can play later."

"I suppose she got you to knock her out?" Voldemort said, amused. Remus could still talk this time, but he didn't answer.

"_Cruc-!"_

"Yes, I did," she answered for him.

Voldemort smiled. "Good girl. On your knees."

_He's pushing it. No way can she even kneel after everything. He's just trying to show his power over her. It's useless. Either way he wins. She either can't knee, meaning she's weak, or she does, and that means she obeys him._

She pulled herself to her knees. A coughing fit shook her and she fell to the ground on her stomach. She screamed, and Remus saw a broken rib pushing her skin upward in a bump.

"On your knees."

"Leave her alone! She can't!" Remus said, hating being able to do nothing.

He saw blood dripping down her mouth, and she moaned in pain as she forced herself to her knees. _She's going to kill herself because she's too damn stubborn!_

"_What was she like?" Remus asked Timothy once. "Alexandra."_

"_Alex," he repeated. "She sees things differently. She can see both sides of things, and she sees things…perceptively. I don't know how to explain. You'd have to know her… She's odd, she is, but do you get what I mean?"_

"_I do," Remus had said. _

"_And she's so bloody stubborn. She won't give up. She could be dying and she'd still spit in her father's face…"_

"Now…go to your room like a good little girl, and I'll send for a healer."

"Go Alexandra," Remus said lightly. "Everything will be fine."

Her hands clung to the walls as she pulled herself up, moaning. She stood for a moment, gasping for breath, and choking on her own blood. "You're a terrible liar, Remus Lupin."

Her green eyes met his brown ones. _I'll be back for you. Be ready._

She turned and staggered away.

Alexandra barely made it to her room before collapsing on the bed. She turned to her side, knowing she'd probably end up vomiting. She heard a lone man's screams, and then she finally let unconsciousness take her.


	15. Chapter 15

"Dumbledore! Remus is missing!" Tonks came running into his office, looking anything but calm.

"What? When?"

"I just got back, and he was gone! I don't know if he was taken or killed-the house was fine, but his travelling cloak and wand was gone so I think he might have been on a walk but he has been gone _all day."_ Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

Her ribs still ached, though they were healed. Her whole body ached, especially her head. She forced her eyes open, and listened at the door-snoring.

Luck was with her. Crabbe was watching her, and he was an idiot who was sleeping. She picked the lock carefully, marveling at what you could learn from books and slipped out.

It had to be night, or else Crabbe wouldn't dare fall asleep. Besides, the castle was dim.

Her bare feet barely made any noise. She shivered in her green silk nightgown, but it was too late to turn back and change. She took Crabbe's wand, and hers as well. Whichever death eater was watching her got her wand until she was allowed to have it for lessons.

_I am not a good guy. I have done too much dark magic._

He would expect her, she knew. There would be plenty of death eaters, but she could tell, how he let her heal, that he _wanted _her to try. It was a battle of wills, but wasn't everything with him?

She just hoped that Remus could fight, and that the death eaters would wait until _after_ she'd found him.

He would not be in the cell she had left-that would be too obvious, so she listened, until she heard faint movement behind one door-careful movement. If she knew anything about Remus Lupin, he was careful, and intelligent.

"_Recludo," _she murmured. It was much more powerful than _Alohamora. _She knew there were death eaters here. She heard faint movements itching to hex her. Evidently, not until she got the prisoner out.

She swung the door open, and knelt by him. He was untied. "Remus...?"

"Alexandra?"

She smiled, her stubbornness coming back. "Call me Alex, though I hope never to see you again. Can you fight? Can you run?"

"I don't think so…"

"With a strength-rejuvenating charm? Or are you injured?"

"Nothing is broken. Strength would work well."

"Good. _ Sanitas." _He felt strength flow through his limbs, and he stood, only a bit shaky.

"Thanks."

She handed him a wand.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you?" he asked.

"I don't ever want to see you again, hear? If we survive, this is going to hurt an awful lot."

"If?"

"I heard three death eaters just in this hallway. Outside, I don't know how many, and in the entrance hall, five. He is not here. This is a test."

"You come with me."

"I can't."

"Rubbish-you can this time. You don't need to stay behind to fight. We can both run and fight."

The thought hadn't occurred to her, but if it had occurred to Voldemort, then there was no way this was going to work. Somehow, she knew he hadn't thought of this.

"If I can. I want your word you'll leave without me if given the chance."

"Let's get out of here, ready?"

She shrugged. "Fair enough. Oh-remember. This covers Timothy's debt."

"Does everything have a price?"

"Yes."

"Even love? Friendship?" he inquired.

"Let's go."

She _was _a remarkable fighter. She was as good as Sirius, at least. She seemed to have that natural way of _knowing_ that a curse was coming her way, and she could duck and dodge easily.

Somehow, he thought that all her lessons created a great deal of pain.

Unfortunately, she used a lot of Dark Magic too…bone breakers, fire spells…yet she didn't kill anyone, and she didn't use any of the unforgivables, which had to count for something, right?"

It didn't help that she was wearing a nightgown. "Plan Zulu!" Remus said suddenly, bolting for the door, and then realizing she probably didn't know what that meant.

"Agreed! I'm right behind you!"

_Thank Merlin for the library in the castle._

She soon bolted after him after disarming a death eater.

"How long until we can disapparate?" Remus shouted, sending a curse at one of the death eaters outside, which were few because most had went _inside_ when they heard the battle. Sam had locked the doors to the inside. There were only five.

"Ten to fifteen minutes max!" she shouted, ducking a jet of red light. "I think!"

"You think?!" He wasn't panicked, merely loud over the storm that had hit. It was raining heavily.

"Yeah-but since Timothy made it before 40, then that's about 15 there and back, plus 10 minutes to break him out!"

"He came in 30!"

"Ten there and back and ten to break out then!" she shouted. "More or less!"

The wind picked up as the last death eater felled, nearly getting Alexandra with a spell but Remus stunned him.

"Thanks!" she shouted over the howling wind, and they raced off in the direction they needed to go.

"You must be freezing," Remus said as they ran.

"I'll live."

"Take my cloak. Even without it, I'd be warmer than you."

"No-I'll live."

"It'd be a shame to die of pneumonia after escaping Voldemort."

"I'll be fine."

"Are you that proud? Take the cloak or I'm throwing it in the mud!"

"Fine," she grumbled. They stopped and he unfastened it and put it over her shaking shoulders.

"Not everything is a battle of wills."

"I'm in your debt _again._" They began running again.

"Not everything comes at a price. You owe me nothing."

"I do. _Everything _has a price."

"So all those kids you saved-they owe you?"

"No-I told you. I just wanted to get rid of the headaches."

"You're a liar. You owe me _nothing."_

"I do."

"Fine-you can repay that debt by promising not to owe me anything again, no matter what I say or do."

He expected her to say 'But that's not fair!' She didn't. "Cunning, Lupin," she growled. "But I'll respect it. It's not like I have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice."

"You haven't had Voldemort as a father."

"True, but he can't take away your choices. You _chose _to save others. You _chose _not to torture or kill."

"I can't stand the-"

"The headaches! I know!" he snapped. He paused. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for," she said bitterly. "We're here."

They stopped running. "Where are we going?" Alexandra asked.

He paused. "Sirius's house."

"Then you'll have to Buddy-apparate me, if you planned on me coming."

He nodded, and she grabbed his arm. _Pop._

"But if we have to get _him _surely we can-!" Voices were heard at Sirius's flat when they apparated there.

"If the reason you joined the Order was for this, you have to realize it's not as easy as it sounds. You can't just go barging in there and take Voldemort's-!" said a second voice.

"But she's not bad! And what about Frank and Alice Longbottom? And Kingsley Shaklebolt? They were just _imagining _the 17-year-old girl who broke them out!" argued the first voice.

"She didn't come with them," the second voice pointed out.

There was an exasperated sigh. "Escape never _occurs _to her! It's not in her nature to think of doing it herself, even if it's easily done-especially when saving others!"

"Listen, we _will_ try, I promise you that. I don't know if we'll get Remus to leave without her, as a matter of fact. I think he hated leaving her behind. Regardless, our first duty is to get Remus out of there."

"I'm hurt Padfoot. You know it's not nice to talk about people behind their backs," Remus said lightly, right behind Sirius.

The dark-haired man wheeled around. "Remus!" A warm embrace of two best mates. Two others stared at each other.

Sirius started to stare at Alexandra as well.

"I, er, I brought a friend," Remus said.

Timothy smiled nervously. "Hi Alex."

_He's safe! He's safe! He's safe! _"'Lo Timothy." She stared over his head.

He took a step forward. She flinched.

"Well, er, we better call Tonks…Let her know Remus is all right…" The other two best mates left the room.

"I never got to thank you," Timothy said.

"I owed you."

"You could say 'You're welcome' for once. It won't kill you." He smiled slightly. Her heart thudded in her chest.

"…You're…welcome…then."

He smiled, and took another step forward. "You've helped a lot of people, Alex. There are many who come back from Voldemort's talking of a girl who broke them out and stayed behind."

"And I've probably condemned a whole lot more. It's a long run from here to town for children in winter, though I tried to get warm cloaks." She smiled wryly. "I think a lot of death eaters ended up having to buy new ones."

"I think you ought to get dry clothes, eh?" he asked. "I have some, and I'm only a _little_ taller than you. Come on."

"Er…sure." She followed him into a room he must have been staying in.

"I'm staying with Sirius for a while. Past two years I've been staying with Order members over the summers. I've learned a lot from them."

"Like 'Constant Vigilance?'"

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Library. There's a surprising amount of knowledge on a lot of members. I believe that phrase was associated with…"

"Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody," he said. "He's nutters, but he's good."

He tossed her a pair of striped pajamas, quite plain. "The bathroom is through that door, so you can change," he said.

"Er…yeah…thanks."

About two minutes later she came out wearing dry pajamas. She must have cut her hair because it was shorter-now only slightly above her shoulders.

"Feel better?" he asked her, lying bored on the floor on his stomach.

"Yes-thank you."

He sat up, crossing his legs under him.

"So let me guess-you graduated top of everything?"

"Not _top,"_ he said bashfully. "It took a lot of work to catch up after missing two years."

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's lucky you're a bloody genius."

"Not your fault. I would have had to catch up more without you, or I'd never have caught up at all."

"I'm sorry I lied," she said suddenly. "I told you I'd meet you there, but I didn't. I'm sorry."

"Well," he said with a faint smile. "Better late than never. This is the place Remus apparated me to. So I guess you didn't really _lie._ You never would pay attention to something like being on time."

_Searing pain. _"Damn it!" she howled, clutching her arm and falling to her knees in pain. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Alex?" He put a hand on her shoulder worriedly. The pain evaporated.

She gasped for breath. "How-? How-?"

"How what?" he asked frowning, his hand still on her shoulder.

"You made it stop. The dark mark…you made it stop burning."

The hand did not retreat, but he asked in a tense voice "You have the dark mark now?"

"Yes." _I swear! I didn't ask for it! I didn't want it! He forced me! _"Yes, I do."

"I'm sorry," he said. She shrugged.

"You look exhausted. Why don't you sleep in my bed tonight? I can take the floor…"

"No," she said immediately. "I'll take the floor. I usually sleep on the floor anyway."

"Why? I suppose you have a huge, comfortable bed."

She smiled grimly. "Yeah-but it's hard to sleep in a comfortable bed when there's screaming under you and it's not as if the pillows can drown them out." _Not that I haven't tried, of course._

"Alright," he said reluctantly. "I'll get a spare pillow and blanket."

"Thanks." Her voice broke, and he stopped, and smiled.

"I expect I should have offered you something to eat and drink. Come on, and then we'll get to sleep."

"I'm alright," but her voice was hoarse, funny how he hadn't noticed that before.

His eyes sparkled. "You and your pride. Come on Alex."

She smiled lopsidedly, and followed him into the kitchen.

"Maybe just a little water then…"


	17. Chapter 17

Tonks arrived the next day, overjoyed to see Remus was alright. Alexandra and Remus (though mainly Remus) recounted the story for Tonks and Timothy.

"I knew there was something I liked about you two years ago," Tonks said with a wink.

Alexandra forced a smile, and excused herself. She had just walked into the hallway when Timothy caught up. He closed the door behind him.

"Hey-you want to go for a walk or something?" he asked.

"No thanks," she said through stiff lips. She did not turn.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Something I can help with? Are you mad about something?"

"Timothy-go away."

"Alex…what is it?"

"Just go away Timothy."

He looked sad. "You've changed. Why do you keep pushing me away?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. "Time changes things," she said.

"It's got to be more than that. You're my best mate…aren't you?"

She finally turned, fire in her eyes. "Perhaps I'm angry with you!" she said.

"What? Why?"

She let her hands curl into fists and let the nails bite into the palms of her hand. "Perhaps you should have known I was lying. Perhaps you shouldn't have left me there for two years!"

He took a step back. "Please…"

"Everything changes," she hissed. "It's about time you learned that. I am Alexandra _Riddle_, daughter of Lord Voldemort. You are a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Goodbye Timothy."

He was confused, and sad. He noticed that the adults had come out. Alexandra was walking away…out the door. She didn't look back at him.

"You talk to ex-you, I talk to ex-me?" Tonks whispered to Remus. He nodded stiffly, and ran after Alexandra.

"How about we have a cup of tea, Timothy?" Tonks suggested, leading him into the kitchen. Sirius stepped aside. "Let me tell you a story…"

He followed her until she stopped, sitting on a park bench. It was evening, and so no kids were there. She no longer had that fiery anger about her. She seemed lost, but also sure.

"Hey," Remus said, sitting on the bench next to her.

"Go away," she growled, the fire back.

"Not happening. Why are you pushing him away? He's your best mate!" Remus demanded.

"He shouldn't have left me there for two years."

"You made your decision. _You're _the one who told him you were going to be safe. Did you want him to risk his life for yours?"

"Yes!"

"You're lying."

She paused. "Yes."

"Why are you pushing him away then?"

The fire dissipated. "You must understand…you're a werewolf. There was a time I'd hate you for it…I knew Greyback too well."

He nodded. He understood.

"So you're a werewolf…but you married Nymphadora. Weren't you afraid you were a-a danger to her?"

"I was. She was just too bloody stubborn, and I gave in. Not to mention that all my best mates thought I was being stupid."

"You were trying to protect her. What is stupid about that?"

"She wasn't in any danger, really," Remus said honestly. "It just took me a while to see that."

She studied him.

"You're afraid of hurting him," he said finally.

"Yes. No. I don't know!"

She stood, and started pacing.

"Yes-I'm afraid of hurting him…but that's not it. I mean…" She paused, drawing in a deep breath. "I…what do you think of love? Your opinion?" She stood and stared at him.

"It drives everything. It's what you fight for. It makes life worthwhile. Love of friends, family…or even a boy friend or girlfriend…husband or wife…"

She clicked her tongue impatiently. "But you say it's good. Being in love is good?"

"Yes. Definitely."

"Well it's not…it's horrible…It…it opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up."

She drew in a rattling breath, almost like a dementor. She began pacing again. "I have a love/hate relationship with everything…I…He can take _anything_ from me…He has taken _everything_ from me…I love that it's there…but I hate that I need it and that it can be taken from me. I love Timothy…I do…but…" She paused, searching. She turned to stare at him again. "I'd hate to lose him. And he should have best mates at Hogwarts. He should be getting married to some pretty Gryffindor…and be happy with someone who isn't…screwed up."

"At the risk of sounding like Molly Weasley…He wants you. He doesn't want some other girl. He wants _you._ And Merlin help you if you try to stop him."

"He's being stupid," she said sharply. "I can't make him happy. I'm cynical, and I don't see things right…Bloody hell Remus! Voldemort is my _father! _And he wants to join the Order! We can't be on different sides."

"I don't believe you're on your father's side."

"It doesn't matter if I want to be-I am. I have to be." She pulled up her sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark. "_This _has stained me for four years! I took it because…he said he'd spare Timothy…" She gulped. "But then the next day, he said he killed him, and he said that he _had _spared him…from Bellatrix Lestrange."

He stood, and gently pushed her sleeve back down. "A mark on your skin isn't going to change his mind. Heck, you did it to _save _him! You've never once helped your father, but you've helped us. _Talk _to Timothy."

"I can't." She swallowed. "My own damn pride won't let me."

"Make it. Swallow your pride like you swallow your screams, or like you swallow your tears. Swallow your pride. Tell him how you feel. Honestly, it will make things a whole lot easier."

"It won't be easier. It's much easier to just go back to father and let him torture me…it's so much easier…"

"Talk to him. He'll understand."

She shook her head. "He'll move on. He'll find a friend. Who knows? Maybe he'll even quit the Order. Maybe he'll stay safe."

"He won't."

"He's not cut out for this. He's a bookworm. He's a _soft_ kid. He's gentle…not a fighter."

"I wasn't. And I'm just as much a bookworm as I was twenty years ago."

"Things have probably changed. He suffered two years because of me-"

"He didn't."

"What?"

"He didn't suffer. Your father just kept him there. He didn't hurt him."

"Kept him there to use against me," she muttered darkly. "It's not something I'd like to happen again. And father is rarely so _merciless._"

"So what are you doing Alexandra? Are you staying or leaving? Are you going back to your father?"

She shrugged. "He never had to stay with aurors. He was perfectly safe. I made sure of that."

"Not true. He's been attacked by death eaters before-"

"What?" Her eyes tore away from whatever she had been staring at before and stared, horrified at him. "He can't have! Oh, _damn!_"

"What?"

"We traded. I got Timothy…to be safe, and he got me…with the dark mark. _Damn! _Now I _have _to go back."

"What? Why?"

She smiled wryly. "To punch the two-siding monster in the face."

He laughed. For some reason, Voldemort getting punched by a 17-year-old was rather comical.

"I have before," she said indignantly.

He stopped laughing and winced. "Must have hurt."

"Hurt me more than it hurt him, but I must say his pride was damaged and mine grown."

He frowned. "Do remember Albus Dumbledore?"

"Half-moon spectacles? Long white beard? Old?"

Remus smiled. "Yes."

"Never heard of him." She smiled too. He laughed.

"I didn't think you would have. I think…I think it would be wise to tell you something, but it's really his decision…Will you come?"

"I have to go back."

"Come and listen, and then tell me what you think."

"Who knows? You might convince me. Which is why I have to decline your offer."

"You don't want to know all the facts before going back? If you planned on going back? Why leave in the first place?"

She sighed. "I needed to see him safe…with my own eyes…I was foolish. I never should have come."

"Why is freedom so impossible for you to grasp?"

"Because last time I tried to obtain it-four years ago-I ruined someone else's life in the process!" she said bitterly.

"Don't you want answers?"

"I have all the answers I need!" she snapped.

"Don't you want to know why he keeps you alive?"

She started. "Oh, and here I was thinking that he was being merciful," she said sarcastically, but he saw how he watched him out of the corner of her eye. He had her attention.

"As liable as that answer is," Remus said, his eyebrows raised. "There _is _a reason. …And it's not your rebellious personality." He was not laughing, but still teasing. She started it anyway.

"He could just want to watch me break," she suggested.

"That's not it. Do you want to know the truth?"

She bit her lip. "Damn you, Remus Lupin. Fine, I will. But then I'm leaving, and I'll make your job to play matchmaker with my best mate."

He smiled. "It's a pity that there's only one to suit him."

She frowned, and ignored him.


	18. Chapter 18

"Miss Riddle, Remus…it's good to see you both safe."

_You do not need to bow to me…_

Hadn't he said that? But bowing was less pain, even if she was too proud to usually go by it. Everything was always so confusing…mucked up.

Remus put his hand on her shoulder, and she fought the urge to scream. _Loosen your grip, please!_ She begged silently in her head. If only he knew…

"I think, maybe, Professor….She should know the-the thing that, er…concerns her?"

Dumbledore studied Remus for a moment, and then Alexandra.

He sighed. "I do suppose you are not a child, though I wonder really…" He paused. "Have a seat, both of you."

They sat, but Remus kept his hand on her shoulder in what was probably supposed to be a comforting way, if it didn't _hurt._

Finally, she shrugged it off. It wasn't weakness, really. He would think she was being uncaring, not needing support.

"There was a prophecy, made before you were born," Dumbledore began. "It said _'There will come a time when the Dark Lord shall bear a child. Only this child will have the ability to make him invulnerable and immortal. But the child will have to make a choice, and that choice will determine if the Dark Lord lives or dies.' _However, Voldemort got hold of this prophecy, but he only heard the first part."

"So," she said frowning, calculating. "He thinks that I only can make him immortal? But how can I make him immortal? He's more powerful than I…" She drew in a sudden breath. "I…I _could._ I mean…it's _really _complicated, but that library has everything…"

"How?"

She hesitated. She hadn't kept this secret for two years to have it shatter with an old man. "The death of the first-born's first love, killed by the parent…flesh of an enemy that has escaped him two times…tears of an innocent child created by the maker…and blood of the first-born."

_Death of Timothy-murdered by Voldemort.  
Flesh of Remus Lupin.  
Tears of an innocent child, created from torture by Voldemort.  
Blood of Alexandra Riddle_

Remus's hand was on her shoulder, painfully tight. Her muscles tensed in pain, but she grit her teeth and put up with it.

"Does he know?" Dumbledore asked.

"I don't think so. He doesn't know half of what is in that library…and I never told him because…"

"Because it would mean Timothy's death?" Remus asked gently.

She nodded miserably.

"But will you go back?"

"What choice do I have? He _owns_ me!" She pulled back her left sleeve again. She did not need to look at it to know it was there, always tainting her soul irrevocably.

"You are in charge of your own decisions. He does not own you, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore said.

She forced herself not to wince when Remus gripped her shoulder again. "He does. You don't understand."

"Alexandra…I may not understand but your choices are your own. He does not control you, as you have shown time and again by-"

"Being rebellious?" she suggested. "Being a rotten brat?"

"There's a difference between the two," Remus told her. "And-"

He let go of her shoulder. He had red on his hand. "You're bleeding."

She grimaced. "What do you expect? He'd just heal me right after? No…only the things that are life-threatening get healed."

"What happened?" he asked.

She shrugged, not wincing, but feeling the pain all the same. "Muggle techniques…Bella likes them. She _likes _blood." She shuddered. "She's mad, she is. I suppose you won't let me go back?"

"Why would you want to?"

She shrugged. "You know-being the coward. I can't face Timothy, so I figure I'll run."

Remus sighed, and looked to Dumbledore. _Don't let her go._

"It _is _your choice, but he does not own you. Nobody owns you. You are your own person."

"Professor-"

"No Remus. It is her decision."

The fireplace roared to life. "I won't let you leave, Alex." _Timothy._

"You can't make me stay."

"Do you honestly _want _to go back to that place?"

"No."

"Then why are you going? Do you even know? There's a _whole world _out here Alex!"

Tonks stepped out of the fireplace, but said nothing. Remus moved beside her, so that the three of them were in front of Alexandra.

She wanted to stay. She _wanted _to, but she couldn't…could she? Her eyes filled with longing, and she took a half-step forward.

Timothy held out his hand. "Stay with me, Alex."

She slid her hand over his. "Only because I owe you."

He grinned. "What for?"

"For being my best mate for the best month of my life, that's what." She grinned.

"Alex…your back is wet…Oh no. Did she?"

Alex nodded mutely. "But its fine," she said quickly.

"Your pride is going to kill you one day," he muttered. "Is Madam Pomfrey here?" he asked Dumbledore.

"Yes-you remember the way to the Hospital Wing?"

"Definitely. Come on Alex."

"I'm fine!" she growled. He tugged her arm. "Come on. I could hex you if you want, but I think it would be a little harder to get you there, but all the same…"

Reluctantly she let herself be tugged away.

"You're a mess!"

The blood had soaked through the bandages that had been around her bloody back, but now they had been removed. Alex lied on her stomach, pretending that she was not here without her shirt. She kept her head on the mattress.

"You really _are _a mess, Alex. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I'm _fine_ and because-"

"The wounds are cursed," Madam Pomfrey said.

"Yeah-that," Alex said.

"Can't you get a potion from Severus to speed up the healing process? Like when I was a kid here?"

"No," Alex said. "I don't need any help from that _git._"

Sirius, who had arrived shortly before, snickered. "Here's to that!" he said.

Remus sighed. "What about that cream or whatever? It's muggle," he explained to Alex.

"Muggle?" she asked, intrigued. She kept her head in one spot, not looking at anyone when speaking.

"Yeah, I might have some of that. Alexandra?"

"Yeah-sure," she said. Two minutes later, her back was re-bandaged and spread with goopy stuff. She got extra bandages and goopy stuff to take with her.

Finally, Madam Pomfrey let her go.

"So how exactly does the muggle thing work, Lupin?" she asked.

"I'm not quite sure…I mean, there's a list of ingredients on the jar-"

"Where?" she asked, but she was looking too fast, and kept passing it. He stopped her hand twisting it with his hand, and was about to twist the jar.

"_Timothy…what are _those?_" A thirteen-year-old girl pointed at the night sky-Alex._

"_What are what?" the boy asked-Timothy._

"_The tiny lights. I've been meaning to ask you but…"_

_He raised an eyebrow. "But you thought I'd think you stupid?"_

_She nodded sheepishly._

_He smiled. "They're stars."_

"_And that's the moon? That's what makes Fenrir Greyback be able to…"_

"_Yeah. Not all werewolves are like that, you know."_

_She grimaced. "I'll believe that when I see it."_

"_Just…keep an open mind."_

"Remus? Alex?" Tonks tapped Remus on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" Remus asked. _What had happened? Was that a memory of hers? How?_

"You guys phased out on us for a second."

"Oh, sorry," Alex said. The question on muggle paste was left unanswered.

"How about we go get something to eat?" Sirius asked suddenly. "I'm starving!" To prove a point, his stomach growled.

"Did you eat a dog?" Timothy asked, a smile on his lips.

"Ha ha, very funny. One more dog joke out of your mouth and I might just feed you to Remus."

"Sirius! That's not funny!" Remus chastised.

"Yeah, Sirius. It isn't funny!" Timothy said, sticking his tongue out.

_I think I'm missing something,_ Alex thought to herself, but didn't say anything.

"So where are we going to eat?" Tonks asked. "I'm starving too!"

"Anyone have any ideas?" Remus asked.

Timothy glanced at Alex, who was studying the outside of Hogwarts while they passed a window. "A muggle place, perhaps?"

"I don't think either of us brought Muggle money with us, Timothy," Sirius pointed out. "Maybe Arthur would have, but not us." He grinned. Alex made a mental note. _Who was Arthur?_

"Three Broomsticks, then," Tonks suggested. "No Floo Powder." She grimaced.

Remus nodded. "It _is_ nearby…"

"How about it, Alex?" Timothy asked. "Alex?" he asked, and turned.

She had stopped by the window. Timothy laughed, and went over. He tugged at her arm. "Hm?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from the window.

He laughed again. "Come on. We're _going_ outside. There's a tree-"

"The Whomping Willow?" To his confused look, she grinned. "It's the quickest way out of Hogwarts to get to be able to apparate. It's where Lupin took me to sneak out and get you."

"What were you watching anyway?" he asked, peering through the window.

"Thestral," she said. "See? A baby one. Isn't he adorable?"

But Timothy could see nothing.

The others came over. "Alex, you need your eyes checked. That thing isn't very pretty," Sirius said.

"I agree," Tonks said.

"I offer no comment," Remus said. "What did you say it was? I've never seen one before."

"But I don't _see_ anything!" Timothy said.

Everyone turned to him. "Oh," Alex said. "I suppose you wouldn't."

"Why not?" Timothy asked.

"Thestrals can only be seen by people who have seen death," she said.

"Oh."

"So that's what a thestral is. I always heard they were at Hogwarts," Remus said.

"Rumor had it they pull the school carriages," Sirius confirmed.

"I wonder why it's alone," Tonks pointed out.

"Hm," Alex said thoughtfully. "Can we go see it before we eat? He's _adorable."_

Remus laughed. "I suppose you were right when you told me about Alex, Timothy. She _does _see things differently. And she definitely is an oddball."

"Hey!" Alex said indignantly. _She was showing emotion._ But she laughed. _She laughed._

"All right, if we're quick," Tonks grumbled. "Much longer and _I _will eat a dog, though not Sirius. I expect he doesn't taste too good."

They all laughed. _I'm laughing? _

Alex ran ahead of them to go see the thestral when they got outside.

"He _is _cute! And just a baby!" she exclaimed.

"I'd hate to see your definition of the word ugly, Alex," Tonks said, snickering.

"Sirius," she replied.

"Hey!"

More laughter. _Laughter? Not in four years…_

"Well, come on! Even I'm getting hungry enough to eat Sirius," Timothy complained.

"That's it! Next full moon, I'm feeding you all to Remus!"

"Sirius!" came the tense reply from Remus.

"It's a joke, Remus. You know he wouldn't," Tonks said, and kissed him.

Sirius made fake gagging noises. Timothy laughed at Sirius, and Alex averted her eyes and focused on the thestral. An adult one came, and Alex frowned, and backed away reluctantly from the baby she had been petting.

"At least you're not as bad as James and Lily."

The adult took the baby away.

Alex turned back. Tonks was laughing, and Remus was bright red.

"Are we going to the Three Broomsticks now?" Sirius asked impatiently. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaassse?"

"Shut up Sirius!" Remus said. "We're going. Ready Alexandra?"

"Alex," she said. "Yeah."

"Alex," he repeated with a soft smile and they all hurried to The Three Broomsticks.


	19. Chapter 19

"_Accio _salt," Remus muttered.

Alex intercepted it, and waggled her eyebrows.

He rolled his eyes, and then Alex held the salt out for him with a grin. He grabbed the salt…

_A 5-year-old girl was being chased by a Patronus. She didn't understand it couldn't hurt her. Voldemort and death eaters were seated at the table, some watching, some laughing, others just eating-like Voldemort, the girl's father._

_Alexandra wore a silver dress with a green bow in the middle. Her hair had green ribbon in it. _

_She got herself back in a corner. The snake patronus reared up on her, and then dissipated. She was whimpering._

_Then she was angry, at the laughing Lucius Malfoy-the castor. She launched herself at him. He fell in surprise off his chair. She punched him._

"_Get her," Voldemort said calmly. A death eater pulled her off of Malfoy, though he could have blasted her away or pushed her off._

_She struggled, fire in her eyes._

"_Alex-stop it. Come here. _Now."

_The death eater that had been holding her let go and she walked, stiff-legged, towards her father. He slapped her-hard. She staggered back. There was blood on her cheek. She started to cry._

_He slapped her again-harder._

"_You never cry, understand?"_

_She nodded and bit her lip. The tears stopped flowing._

"_To that corner-sit. No dinner. And no meals tomorrow."_

* * *

_It must have been the next day because she was still 5. Her dress was different, but she still sat in the corner at dinner. But Voldemort was the only one there this time._

_Her stomach grumbled. "Hungry, Alexandra?"_

"_Yes," she squeaked._

"_Good-let it be a lesson to you. I can take _anything_ from you. I own you."_

Remus swallowed, and pulled the salt away. No one had noticed anything.

"Is that what you meant?" he asked her quietly.

"What I meant when?"

"You said that he can take anything from you. You said that you love that it's there, but he could just take it away. Is that what you meant?"

"Among other things," she muttered. "But that is the general idea."

He looked at her with concerned eyes but she wouldn't meet them. "Alex-you'll fall in love with this place, I swear. They have the best chocolate cake in the world!" Timothy told her with a grin.

She grinned back. "One day-you'll rule the world, Tim, and then, all of life's problems will be solved by chocolate."

She was grinning, and she was sincere. Was he imagining the pained look in her eyes? Or could he only see it because he was looking for it?

One thing was for sure…she was a heck of an actress.

"So did I really save anyone?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah-loads, really. We started placing at least one Order member at a certain point every night for when a kid was walking, trying to get away. There were some muggle kids too."

She frowned. "I saved them all too late. They'd either been victims of Bellatrix already, or they were scared. Either way, they won't be the same."

"The kids say you're a hero," Timothy piped up. "You've saved some Hogwarts students as well. It was all around the school-the girl that snuck into the dungeons at night and freed students from Lord Voldemort." He grinned. "Some say you're a ghost, and one girl swears you're an anti-dementor. That is, the opposite of a dementor."

Alex snickered. "Maybe I am."

"Nah-there's no such thing as anti-dementors, and you're not transparent," Tonks pointed out.

"So then why do they believe it?" Alex asked. "Why are they being stupid?"

Timothy shrugged.

"Because people try to turn real people doing the right thing into all-powerful things. Almost as if they don't believe that a real person could be behind the actions," Remus said wisely.

"I think he's smarter than you Timothy, and that's saying something. Because you're the smartest person I've ever met."

"I'm the first non-death eater, non-prisoner you've ever met."

"Yeah-you'll always be the first," she said, grinning, but then, while it didn't fade, her eyes changed from sparkling, to scared.

_The death of the first-born's first love._

She swallowed, and the grin faded when everyone looked away. Was Remus the only one paying attention?

Her eyes wandered around the place. A girl and her mother walked through the door. Alex flinched slightly. The girl tugged her mother's sleeve and whispered something in her ear.

The mother looked up at Alex. She spied Remus, Sirius, and Tonks-all legendary figures in the war. She saw Timothy, but her eyes passed over him.

The daughter tugged at her mother's sleeve towards the table. Alex tensed as they came over. Conversation dropped.

The girl was nervous. "Hi," she squeaked. "Alex?"

Alex smiled slightly. "Sarah, right?"

The girl nodded quickly. Alex slipped off her chair and knelt by the girl at her level. "Hi," Alex said softly. "You are…alright?"

She nodded again. "This is my mommy," she said. A small smile lifted her lips.

Alex straightened. She clasped her hands behind her back, though Remus, Sirius, Tonks, and Timothy all noted how her fingers were tight and tense behind her back.

"Erm…hello Mrs….?"

"Wesley. Hannah Wesley. Thank you. For saving my daughter." Her hand was tight on her shoulder-protectively. "But who are you?"

She smiled. "Just Alex. I'm sorry, but I can't give you the answers you want. I'm just glad…she's safe. Is…Jacob-?"

"He's with his father. He is fine."

"I am glad."

Until then, no one else interfered. Remus started to notice Alex's discomfort. "Hello. My name is Remus-Remus Lupin. This is Sirius Black." He gestured to Sirius.

"And I'm Nymphadora Lupin-call me Tonks though. And this is-"

"Timothy Warren."

She nodded at everyone, and Alex knelt back by Sarah. She whispered something making the other girl giggle and stare smiling at Timothy.

"All right," Timothy said, catching it. "What'd you say about me?"

"Nuffin," the girl said, smiling. Alex laughed.

Later, Sarah was sitting on Alex's lap, giggling and splitting a large piece of chocolate cake. Alex would be upset when she left, but wouldn't show it.

"Will he come back?" Sarah asked her. She sounded scared, even though it had been a year.

Alex sighed, and Timothy heard them, remembering Alex's rule.

"_I just don't lie to make things sound better, Timothy. There's no point in raising false hope and then being accused of lying."_

"Your mommy and daddy will keep you safe Sarah-I know they will."

"But You-Know-Who-!"

"Listen Sarah, there is no fear in a name-it's just a name. _Voldemort_ is just a name. People aren't scared to say _Alex _or _Sarah. _It's not scary at all."

"V-Voldemort," she said, sounding scared, but then she smiled a bit. _"Voldemort _isn't scary."

"Good girl, _brave _girl. Now you listen to your mommy and daddy, and you be nice to your big brother, okay?"

"Will I see you again?"

"Last time I said 'No' and I turned out to be wrong, didn't I? So maybe, I don't know, alright?"

She nodded. "Thank you Alex. You're a hero." She hugged her. Alex looked surprised, and then hugged her back, hesitantly, gently.

Alex stood when Sarah let go. "Until next time, Princess Sarah!" She did a little bow and Sarah laughed. She waved, and left with her mother.

Alex sighed, and sat down again.

"You always did like kids," Timothy spotted.

"Yup."

"Voldemort's not going to come back for her, you know," Remus said.

"I'd like to know why he did in the first place. Why any kid he did it to…? I mean _I'm _one thing…but _muggle kids, _or kids of a witch or wizard, whether or not they _did_ something…It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," Timothy said.

"I know. But I've _never _complained about something _not being fair._ But this…_this_ is _not fair."_

"I agree. But it's not fair to you, either."

"It is though. I was born into that life. He _forced _them into that life."

There simply wasn't anything to say.


	20. Chapter 20

"What am I doing, Remus?"

Though talking to Timothy was easier, he tended to have a biased view on the thing. He rarely let her out of his sight.

"What you believe is right."

"Living off of friends of Timothy's? Until when?"

"Until you can get yourself on your feet."

"What until I get a job or something?" she grumbled. "Oh, I can see it now."

She put on a high-pitched voice. "Your name is Alexandra Riddle?"

"Yeah," she said in her normal voice.

"Riddle as in Tom Riddle-He Who Must Not Be Named?" she said in the high voice.

"Yup-that's the one."

"Great! You can start on Monday!"

She laughed bitterly.

Remus nodded slowly. "That _is _true. Trust me, I know."

Alex frowned. "Yes, I suppose you do." _Who would hire a werewolf? _"So what do you do?"

"Order of the Phoenix. I should have been an auror like James and Lily and Sirius and Peter, but, well, I couldn't. Order was the best. The Ministry would never hire a werewolf but Dumbledore would, and the Order has nothing to do with the Ministry."

"So why is Timothy in the Order instead of being an auror?"

"Because the Order requires less training. It's faster to get into the action."

"But he'll be killed with less training!"

Remus smiled. "Every summer, he's gone with aurors, and most taught him…a _lot. _So Sirius says."

"He's barely of age."

"But he is of age," Remus pointed out.

"So what do I do?"

"Stay. Learn. Heal."

"Healing, staying, and learning isn't going to help the world any. Ask Timothy-I can't sit still."

"Then fight with us. You're an excellent fighter. We could use everyone we can get."

"But if he gets me back, and have no doubt he'll try…I'll have information I shouldn't," she admitted. "He'll know it, and Bellatrix is a master-no one can hold out forever…unless they die of course."

"So do your job, don't attend meetings, and don't ask questions."

She smiled. "When can I talk to Dumbledore?"


	21. Chapter 21

Alex apparated to Tonks's house with Remus. She'd already fire-called Timothy and said she was visiting Tonks.

Loud sounds met her ears, and she jumped back, her wand extended.

"What is it?" Remus asked.

"What's that noise?"

Remus laughed, and told her to lower her wand. _Something else I don't know._ Her face reddened.

"Music-Tonks's music."

"Music?" she asked curiously. A voice started speaking, or something like that.

"_Check yes Juliet. Are you with me? Rain is falling down on the sidewalk. I won't go until you come outside."_

"Yes-muggle by the sounds of it. Her dad was a muggle born."

"Oh-so wizards have music too then?"

"Yeah."

"What is it for?"

"Just to listen to. To help people think, or to just sing along to."

"_This _helps people think?"

"It depends."

"What is sing?" she asked.

"Here the voice sort of…speaking?"

"Yeah-is that what the voice is doing? Singing?"

He smiled patiently. "Yes."

She nodded slowly.

"_Forever will be…you and me. Check yes Juliet, I'll be waiting. Wishing, wanting yours for the taking. Just sneak out and don't tell a soul good-bye."_

Tonks came out of the door, and the music got louder. "Hey guys!" she said. "You should have said you were coming Alex."

"That would ruin the surprise," Alex said with a sly grin.

Tonks laughed.

"_Lace up your shoes. Hey-oh! Hey-oh! Here's how we do…Run baby run! Don't ever look back. They'll tear us apart if you give them a chance. Don't sell your heart. Don't say we're not meant to be. Run baby run! Together will be…you and me."_

Tonks pointed her wand through the door and the music stopped.

"I like music," Alex muttered to Remus. He smiled.

"So watcha need Alex? I assume you're not here to have any _fun, _Merlin forbid."

Remus grinned. "No, we can't have that. I brought her here because I figured, well, you're an auror, and so you'll know if she can better than I."

"Can what?"

"Join the Order," Alex said.

Tonks grinned. "Operation break into the Ministry of Magic, have Kingsley cover us, and make Moody put her through a training course to test her abilities?"

Alex didn't like Tonks's grin, and felt a little nervous.

"If you must," Remus said.


	22. Chapter 22

_Duck, dodge, and spin. Crouch. Take cover. Fire._

_Cover blown, roll away. Crouch. Fire spells, dodge. Stand._

_Blast, blast, blast. Hit, miss, hit. Duck, left, left again._

_Roll. Hide. Breathe. One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand._

_Cover blown to smithereens. Smoke spell. Sneak away. Blast, blast, blast. Hit, hit, hit._

"Too easy," Alex muttered with a half-satisfied smile.

_Dodge. Blast._

Ha! She'd known that this "Mad-eye Moody" would have tricks up his sleeve just waiting for when she thought she would win. She had heard a lot about him, and was good at analyzing people.

Tonks came to join her. "Very good," she said. "Mad-eye usually gets everyone with one last 'death eater.'"

"I figured he'd do something like that," Alex panted.

"Would you like to do a bit of friendly dueling?" Tonks asked. "No killing each other?"

Alex frowned. "I'm not quite sure I know how to duel 'friendly.'"

She laughed. "I thought not. But you didn't use the Unforgiveables."

"Did you think I would?"

"No," Tonks answered truthfully.

"Good, because I can't. I never could. Don't know how."

"Really?" Tonks asked.

"Yeah. It never works for me."

"Hm," was all Tonks said.

"You expected different?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Tonks admitted. "But I believe you."

"Good. I didn't think you would," Alex admitted as well. "Is there any chance I can get a wand? I mean…Timothy said wands _choose_ wizards."

"You mean that one didn't?"

"No. It belonged to…" She trailed off, though she wasn't thinking. She would always remember. "I don't know."

"So you need one that fits you then. How about we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning and then go see Dumbledore?"

"That'll work. What does Moody have for me next? Anything?"

"He's quite annoyed that you've bested the training rounds so far. Aren't you burned out yet? It's been almost two hours."

"Maybe a little thirsty, but I have a feeling saying that to Moody would get serious chastisement about not getting water breaks in battle. But I can go on if he's got more."

"Okay, I'll tell him you say 'Bring it on,'" she said with a cocky smile.

"Oh yay." Alex rolled her eyes. "Make me sound big-headed. This is going to be hard, isn't it?"

"Oh definitely. He might even send in the real-fighting guys. Quick reflexes, nasty spells, maybe even some unforgivable. But he won't let you die. The only way to be 'killed' is to be hit with green light, which will stain your shirt green and you'll be disqualified. You'll hear _Avada Kadavra_ but that is all it will be. You get hit-game over."

"Brilliant. Love you too Tonks."

Tonks laughed evilly. She made her hair turn bright green.

Alex rolled her eyes and gripped the wand. Soon, she'd have _her_ wand. She almost smiled.

And then twelve more figures ran out of the doors.

_Never attack first. Dodge, hit. Dodge, hit. Duck, move left, and right. _

_There were 10._

_Roll, crouch behind cover. Breathe. One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand._

_Scream three spells-reducto, bone-breaker, cutting. All hit._

_Duck. Cover disinigrated._

_Run. Run. Run. Don't panic. _

"_Crucio!" Screaming in pain. Concentrate. Focus. Roll._

_It didn't expect it. The curse broke. _

"_Rumpere Os!" she screamed, twice. One hit._

_One rebounded. She dodged right, and it only got her left arm. She screeched in pain._

_Tonks's voice._

"Alex, do you need out?"

_There were 6 left. Half-way._

"I'm fine!" she gasped.

_Her lungs burned from the constant strain. Dive for cover. . One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand. Four one thousand. Five one thousand. She needed the extra time._

_She rolled out of cover just as a spell whizzed past her ear. They hadn't destroyed the cover, merely gone around it to catch her unawares._

_Another was waiting for her to roll that way._

"_Crucio!" They would not be fooled this time. She rolled. The castor was ready. It did not break._

_So she did the reversal spell. Somewhere between here and there, the spell stopped, and did not hit the figure, but it still pushed it off her._

"_Circincendia_!" _Three were caught in the fire before the other three put it out._

"_Rumpere Os!" she screamed at one. It was redirected. She felt her ribs crack._

_She fought dizziness as another spell blasted her into a wall._

"_Avada-!"_

"_Reducto!" she gasped, blasting the glass cover. She made put a shield charm around herself to destroy the glass but the larger shards got the other three death eaters._

Tonks came in again. "You go girl! Mad-eye is furious and-!" She stopped. "Alex?"

Blackness swam in front of her eyes, and she vomited. Every breath hurt.

"Crap. Mad-eye's gone too far. You pushed yourself too far, Alex."

She coughed up blood. "I've been worse. Believe you me." She smiled weakly. "Remind me not to instigate Moody-ever."

"Well I'm sure you impressed him if he's angry. Are you going to tell me what all happened or are you going to make me poke you until I find a sore spot.

She frowned. "I broke a few ribs, and my left arm. Plus I'm pretty sure that blow against the wall didn't do me any good." She paused. "But that's all." She even started to stand up. Remus had arrived seconds ago, and heard her list of injuries.

"You're mad, Alex," he said.

"True."

"You need a healer."

"Yeah, I do. I won't deny that." She finished standing up. "But do me a favor and let me take care of myself."

She took a step forward, and wavered, but did not fall.

"You're mad," Tonks said.

She sighed, and then a coughing fit shook her again. Her vision swam, but she stood again.

"Yeah."

"What the bloody hell is going on?! I sent you to come fetch her not to sit around chatting!" It was Mad-eye Moody, looking irritable.

Alex wiped the blood from her mouth. "Hello Moody," she said raspily. "That was one hell of an exercise. I haven't had that much fun since…um…" She trailed off, and then laughed. Her laugh turned to a blood-spraying cough.

She distantly heard Mad-eye yelling at Tonks, but her ears were starting to ring rather badly. Remus touched her shoulder, and she almost screamed. _My left arm is broken you idiot! _Her vision swam, and she felt herself land on her rear end. Her vision was going black, and her ears were ringing so bad she couldn't hear herself tell Remus "Yeah, I definitely need a healer right about now. Preferably before-"

She passed out.


	23. Chapter 23

She woke up groggily, and she hurt, but not everything. She didn't feel bruised and batter at all. But her back hurt.

In fact she wanted to scream. Fighting had definitely been hard on her blistered back. It tore open the healing blisters, split them open again, and it hurt like _hell. _Sorry Timothy.

And she never had company when she woke up. Unless, of course, it was for round two of torturing. Or three or more. It depended on who and if her father-how angry.

But people worried about her when she woke up-never. Of course, that probably would have happened earlier if she hadn't put a silencing charm around the place she slept at Sirius's. Nightmares were not a laughing matter. Sure, she didn't fret over them once she woke up, but it called for a terrible night's sleep, and you didn't wake from a nightmare feeling rejuvenated.

So where was she? No way would she ask. That was stupid. She wouldn't ask for _anything, ever. _She just didn't ask for things. It hurt her pride to need something. If she _really _did, she would _always_ manage to make it cynically sarcastic.

Hogwarts-the Hospital Wing. Just great-Madam Pomfrey would _never_ let her leave.

"Hey," she said. Dumbledore, Sirius, Timothy, Mad-eye Moody, Remus, and Tonks were all there, and James Potter? And there was also a woman she didn't know, and a kid about her age that looked like James Potter. "Some party, eh?" She grinned, and forced her searing back to sit up. She sat, her legs crossed in the hospital wing pajamas.

"So…am I qualified? Oops, I reckon I…" She paused. "Umm…red head, and kid that looks like James Potter, I'm Alex. Oh, and nice to see you again, James Potter."

The red-head smiled. "I'm Lily Potter, and this is my son-Harry Potter."

"Hello Lily Potter…Harry Potter."

"Hi," Harry said.

"I knew Harry from school," Timothy told her. "He was in my year-Gryffindor though, so I didn't really _know_ him."

Alex nodded, fidgeting. She was not good at meeting new people.

"And by damned, you are qualified," Moody growled. "I don't think even young Harry could have passed that, and he's a natural."

"Well, I expect he is-his parents are both aurors. Good ones, considering I've heard of them." She smiled bitterly. "One of the many things beaten into me-hard." She frowned. "So am I in then, headmaster?"

She turned her head to look at him.

"Severus tells me you know Occlumency."

She nodded. "A well-kept secret. Voldemort did not know Snape is _better_ than him. Still, Snape can be a rather nasty teacher, _especially _as a death eater, but at least no one can chastise me for not saying 'Professor.'" She grinned. "But I'm no good at Leginamency. And I've never flown a broom. Unless you count that one time…but Timothy was driving." She laughed, and her laugh sounded like Sirius's-bark-like. "Needless to say, never ride two to a broom when one is satisfactory, and the other has never been on a broom."

"Hey! I've gotten better! I was even seeker for Hufflepuff after Diggory left. He's three years ahead of us, and already in the Order."

"Harry was seeker for Gryffindor!" James said proudly. "Since his first year! Even though there hadn't been a first-year on the team in a century before he showed up."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "James was a Chaser for Quidditch."

"I reckon Harry beat you every time, didn't he Tim?"

He laughed. "Well I was good enough to beat Draco Malfoy and Cho Chang…" he said.

"Oh yay, the newest death eater was a seeker."

"Death eater?" Harry asked.

"Yeah-like father like son. Hopefully, anyway. Lucius was killed, oh, last year, I believe."

Remus's hand was on her shoulder. "Yeah-wasn't it because a prisoner was escaping and the killing curse missed the prisoner and hit Malfoy instead?"

"_Morgan! Duck!" she shrieked. It was a good thing Morgan was quick on her feet. (She was sure to be a good Quidditch Player, if she wasn't already. Light and speedy, she thought she'd make a good Keeper for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She was thirteen. Alex was sixteen.)_

_She ducked just in time. The killing curse missed and hit Lucius Malfoy._

"_Now Morgan-run!" Alex blasted off spells towards the other death eaters. "And don't stop for anything!"_

Remus blinked. What was going on? He'd have to remember to ask Dumbledore.

"Yeah-Morgan. She was thirteen. I wonder how she is doing…?"

"Do you remember all the people you saved?"

"You told me you didn't know names before," Remus pointed out.

"I remember all the kids. You ask kids their names to reassure them, even if you already know, it would freak them out if you knew and they'd never seen you before. I never asked adults for their names, usually, anyway."

"I wish I knew they were safe. The adults, most likely were. Voldemort was always furious that I always managed to nick the death eater who was supposed to be guarding me's wand. And no matter where he hid my wand, I could always call it to me. It was amusing when the death eater had it the other day. So the adults always had a wand to apparate, but the kids…they had to run all the way I did, and it's a far run, especially the ones too young to use magic…" She swallowed. _This is what I want to stop. This is the damn way Remus got me into this!_

"But am I in?" she almost whispered, but she made her voice come out loud, well, normal. A whisper showed weakness.

Dumbledore smiled. "Considering the fact that all of the remaining marauders agree, I would not like to guess what would happen if I said no. So yes, Miss Riddle. You may join the Order of the Phoenix."

_Remaining of the marauders?_ She wanted to ask, but should she?

"Peter Pettigrew was killed by Voldemort three years ago," Remus said, correctly guessing her thoughts.

"I'm sorry." She swallowed, and gripped his hand in what she thought was what you were supposed to do.

_Terrified squeaking, and screaming. She pressed her pillow against her ears, but she heard that a man would not give up his friends._

_The weak link. He wanted Pettigrew to spy on the others to break up the marauders. They were getting rather annoying, and just _would not die!

_But Peter Pettigrew was killed, by Voldemort. Not Bellatrix, or Lucius, or Dolohov. Voldemort killed him himself._

_The highest honor, some said. Rubbish. It didn't matter which bad guy killed you. You were still dead._

She thought she had heard Remus, Sirius, and James's name connected with Peter. Evidently, she was right.

Remus was frowning.


	24. Chapter 24

"Professor, I need to ask you something," Remus said.

Dumbledore looked up. "Have a seat. What is it Remus?"

"Sometimes…I get these _visions_ or something, and I think that they're Alex's memories."

"When?"

"First when I was about to tell her about the muggle jar of medical paste at Hogwarts. Again when we were at the Three Broomsticks. Then it was at Hogwarts, when we were all in the Hospital Wing with her? It happened twice then."

"What were they about?"

"She was 13…with Timothy…asking about the stars…She didn't know what they were…Then she was 5…and Voldemort was making her come to dinner, but wouldn't let her eat because she punched Lucius when he was scaring her…he slapped her for crying…and I don't think she ate for the evening of the first day and all of the second day…He was proving to her he could take anything, I think…And then at Hogwarts…she was saving a 13 year old girl named Morgan when Lucius was hit by a missed spell, and the other at Hogwarts was…" He gulped. "She was in her room, a pillow pressed over her ears, listening to Peter. Voldemort wanted him to spy on us, but he wouldn't…and he killed him."

Dumbledore studied him for a moment.

"I should see her wand."


	25. Chapter 25

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dumbledore?" Remus smiled calmly at her, but her nerves were still a wreck. What did he need?

"Yes. I wondered if I might take a look at your wand."

She looked surprised. "Not my wand-a wand. He took it from someone, I think. I ended up with it. I was told I could get a new wand soon that matched me like Timothy's…" She handed it over. "May I ask why?"

Dumbledore took it, and smiled. "Look familiar, Remus?"

He handed it over to Remus. He looked at it for a moment before smiling. "Mahogany, Unicorn hair, 12 and ½ inches. But what does the wand have to do…?"

"Everything," Dumbledore said. "It is your wand, therefore there is still a connection between it and you. If I am correct, that is why you could see some of Miss Riddle's memories."

She shifted uncomfortably. "That was your wand?" she asked.

He nodded. "My first wand. I did grow out of it, however, and I gave it to my mother for safekeeping…" He trailed off.

"I did like the wand," she said quietly. "It was a nice wand, but it never seemed to have…that special quality Timothy told me about. I never completely understood it…"

He smiled a bit. "Well, we best be getting you a wand, haven't we? Timothy would probably want to come, wouldn't he?"


	26. Chapter 26

After trying nearly every wand in the shop, there was finally one that suited her.

"Ash and Phoenix feather-13 ¼ inches," Mr. Ollivander said.

Warmth spread through her fingers and a grin spread across her face. "This one," she breathed.

"Finally!" Timothy said, thumping her on the back in a friendly manner. She bit her lip but said nothing. He didn't seem to notice. "We are _so_ getting ice cream now!"

She laughed. "Well, at least this time I know how _cold_ it is. I mean, ice cream is great-don't get me wrong but when your best mate neglects to tell you you're not supposed to bite it…" She shivered. Tonks and Sirius laughed, and Timothy shrugged. Remus looked thoughtful.

"You should have known ice cream was cold!" Timothy said. "It is _ice."_

"Well-there are so many misnamed things-how am I supposed to know?" Alex defended herself.

"You seemed to like chocolate last time-without the cone? I remember…you didn't like the cone much," he said, frowning to remember.

Alex shrugged. "I don't remember…but it sounds right…"

Sirius grinned. "That's been Remus's favorite since I've known him. No hot fudge…or chocolate syrup…just a plain ice cream. Though he ate the cone I believe."

"Doesn't mean I particularly cared for it much," he admitted.

"So-when can I start doing things for Dumbledore?" Alex asked.

Tonks and Sirius exchanged glances. "Well you could start as an auror-like James and I did," he said. "And Tonks. Or as a member-like Remus. As an auror, you go through some tests. The problem is-training takes several years…"

"And I probably don't have that," Alex said indifferently.

"Alex!" Timothy scolded.

"What? You think he's just gonna say-whoops. She got away. Well, let's let her fight against me and I won't try to kill her. I'll just let her do whatever she wants to do. Be reasonable Tim."

He bit his lip and said nothing. Remus cleared his throat tentatively.

"Er-to start out as a member, you have to get both Mad-eye Moody's approval-"

"Which be sure you got it," Tonks cut in.

"And Dumbledore's approval," Remus finished. "I got Dumbledore's, but not Mad-eye's. I had to take lessons from him-not easy-and I practiced with James, Sirius, and Peter."

"What do you have to do to gain Dumbledore's approval?" Alex inquired.

"He has to be able to trust you," Sirius said. "But he trusts _Snape_ and everyone knows he's a greasy-"

"Sirius…" Remus warned quietly.

"Yes MUM?" he asked in a childish voice.

Remus shook his head, holding back a smile. "The point is-Dumbledore knows what he is doing."

"Honestly, Remus-there's no way he'd trust me-for what I am."

"Alex-he trusts 2-previously 3-illegal animagi, a clumsy metamorphmagus that trips over her own two feet, 3-previously 4-major pranksters, 2 members of the Black family, a criminal of petty crimes, a werewolf, a half-giant…shall I go on?"

"Remus-you named us more than once," Sirius pointed out.

"Yeah-you're on there…well there's the animagus, the prankster, the Black…three times-"

"Though I could be the petty criminalist as well," Sirius pointed out.

"You're an animagus?" Alex asked, surprised.

Sirius grinned. "Yeah, I'm a-"

"No-don't tell me," Alex said, suddenly tense. "It's bad enough I know. You shouldn't have said anything. And don't tell me who the others are. _Don't."_

Timothy sighed. "Alex-you're not going to betray us."

"How do you know? No one can hold out forever. He could always get information from me-like when I knew about auror-fighting techniques. I didn't _want_ to tell him I'd learned it from a book-"

"Well that wasn't important," Timothy said.

"Exactly," Remus said. "Like you knew about that spell, and you haven't told him. To protect-"

"Whatever," Alex said quickly. "Just don't give me too much information. It's better to be safe than sorry-right?"


	27. Chapter 27

Several months later and Alex was a magnificent fighter. She'd become good friends with everyone-Lily, James, Sirius, Tonks, and Remus. She couldn't say that she didn't get along with Harry-she just didn't really know how to react around people her age. Timothy didn't count because…well, they'd met a long time ago. Besides, she felt like a know-it-all sometimes. Even Hermione Granger didn't always understand what she was talking about.

Timothy, Hermione, Ron, and Harry were all training to be aurors at the Ministry of Magic. Alex stayed with Timothy-who had gotten his own apartment.

Yawning, Timothy finally walked into the kitchen to find Alex already awake and reading the daily prophet.

"What's the news?" he asked.

Alex sighed. "Azkaban has been taken by Voldemort," she said darkly. "The dementors are officially under his control-all of them. All the prisoners have escaped and now he has a new place to put _his_ prisoners."

"But what about the team of aurors guarding Azkaban?" Timothy asked.

"Azkaban's newest prisoners-or dead."

"But Sirius-"

"Yeah-I know." She folded the newspaper. "Sirius was on guard duty when Azkaban was taken. He's either dead, or worse."

Timothy collapsed into a chair across from her.

"He's not dead Timothy."

"What? How do you know?"

"Because-gah!" She clutched her arm as it exploded in pain.

"Sam!" He shook her, hoping to snap her out of whatever it was.

She took several gasps of air before she continued, still marveling at how Timothy could stop the mark from burning. "Because he would have made it known that Sirius was dead. He's almost as important to the public as James Potter."

"How though?"

"Easy-Rita Skeeter gets all her news from a death eater, and Voldemort would have told that death eater to tell her."

"Who's the death eater?"

"See-that's the only problem. I don't know that part. I just know that Skeeter gets her information from him or her and doesn't know that he or she is a death eater."


	28. Chapter 28

"Alex."

"Remus-I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" she asked.

"No," he answered. "None of us are."

Harry and Tonks looked like they'd been crying, Ron looked uncomfortable, and Hermione looked frightened. Lily's eyes were slightly red and Remus's were sad. Dumbledore looked extremely calm-as usual. James, however, had a bright gleam in his eyes.

"James-do you know something we don't?" Alex asked, peering at him.

"I might have a plan," he said carefully.

"What is it?" Harry asked before anyone else.

"We're going to break him out."

"Mr. Potter-it's impossible, isn't it? No one can break out of Azkaban," Hermione pointed out.

"But we're breaking _in,"_ James pressed. "And besides-"

"It doesn't matter. There's no way in," Alex said.

"But we'll make a plan. I'll use the entire auror division if I have to. We're breaking Sirius out-point closed," James said. Alex noticed him glancing side-long at Dumbledore, who didn't object.

"I agree," he said. "But be wary, James. This could easily be a trap. Plan carefully, and don't let your emotions rush you into action."

"He'll keep Sirius alive," Alex said. "Until he gives him the information he wants, or agrees to turn spy. I understand that both of these options are highly unlikely but we have to be careful. And…he won't be patient for long. If he realizes by no way Sirius is going to give him information…he'll kill him."

"And how long does his patience run?" Ronald squeaked.

"It all depends…but few people who would be more useful dead to the public would last more than a few months."

"How come you were there for so long then?" Harry asked.

Alex smiled bitterly. "I was more useful to him alive."


	29. Chapter 29

"There's something strange about her," Harry told Ron and Hermione.

"Yeah-how long did they tell us she's been with You-know-who?" Ron asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "They didn't tell us. We overheard, remember?"

"17 years-her whole life, I think," Harry said thoughtfully. "But why?"

"Ransom?" Hermione suggested.

"He's never held anyone else for ransom, and certainly not for 17 years," Harry pointed out.

"Didn't we first hear about her in our fifth year?" Ron asked. "When Timothy came back? He was missing for two years, wasn't he?"

"Yeah-she met my dad, Remus, Tonks, and…Sirius then. And when I met her in the hospital wing…They said something about her saving people…?"

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"I dunno. I was bored, and I wasn't really paying attention. Mum dragged me over."

"Maybe she's the kid of a death eater, and Voldemort's holding her so that the death eater remains loyal or something…" Hermione suggested.

"I don't want maybe-I want to know for sure. She gives me the creeps," Harry said.

"She _is _a bit odd," Hermione said.

"Hermione-Luna Lovegood is a bit odd. This girl is _scary," _Ron said.

"And she's a better fighter than all of us, so why don't we just let her alone?" Hermione said, giving them a stern look fit to imitate Professor McGoangall.


	30. Chapter 30

Alex was reading over the daily prophet and waiting for James to get to the meeting. Almost as soon as James walked in, she gasped and dropped the paper, then snatched it up again and read it fiercely.

"What is it?" Timothy asked.

"_Damn,"_ she hissed, and then clutched her arm in agony again, dropping the paper to the floor.

Timothy cast her a worried glance and picked it up. Everyone crowded curiously, and when James walked in, he read as well.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Offers to Release Prisoners

By: Rita Skeeter

From an anonymous source, lead reporter Rita Skeeter has discovered that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is willing to release the Azkaban prisoners. Growing more and more, current count on the amount of people in Azkaban has been increasing heavily to 125-97 of which are children.

"He's willing to release every last prisoner-including Sirius Black. The Order of the Phoenix has stolen his daughter, and he wants to take her back. If she hands herself into Death Eaters at 12 o'clock pm on the next Saturday at the Center of Diagon Alley, all the prisoners will be released."

Alex Riddle is the girl he wants. She is the girl whom for many years helped He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's prisoners to escape. Now, she has been steadily being recognized as an experienced fighter who appeared out of nowhere.

But where do her loyalties truly lie? Recent reports show that Alex Riddle bears the Dark Mark on her skin-something given to only He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's most valued of supporters. This information has been kept a secret from us, and it is turning doubtful that Alex Riddle has ever done anything except for her own interest.

"She's nothing but a liar," Timothy said.

"We'll get Sirius back without risking our aurors," Alex argued. "The greater good, right? One to save a hundred?"

"We're not asking you to do this," Timothy pleaded.

"I'm not asking your permission," she said back.

"She can't!" Timothy said, turning to everyone else.

"Listen," she said. "I'm sure James's plan is a long shot at best. It would be best if-"

"If we play right into his hands?" Lily asked. "What about the prophecy?"

"I've kept the secret before, I'll keep it again." She turned to Remus. "You know I won't. You know I wouldn't pay that cost."

Remus frowned. "Sirius wouldn't want you to."

"I don't give a damn. If not for Sirius-the 97 kids then, and the other aurors we need. What about Bill and Charlie?" She looked at the Weasleys. "And Kingsley? We can't win this if we don't have our best aurors back, right Moody?"

He grunted.

"What if we combine the plans?" James asked thoughtfully.

"He's not an idiot," Alex said.

"But we make a port key that won't be activated until every prisoner is off the island," James explained. "Then you'll get back as well."

"He's not an idiot," she repeated. "I won't get a port key past him."

"It's worth a try," Dumbledore said. "If we can't stop you from going, at least let us try to bring you back."

"What's the loss?" Lily asked. "If he _does_ find it before it's activated, what would happen?"

_It would hurt quite a lot,_ she thought to herself. "Fine, but what exactly is the port key going to be?"


	31. Chapter 31

"You don't have to do this," he told her once again.

"Yes I do," she said. "I owe-"

"Oh shut up with you and your debts. If anything, the _whole world_ owes you."

She shrugged.

"You're a great auror. We need you," he pressed.

"I'm not an auror," she reminded him. "And I'm not as good as Sirius."

"Are too."

"And Kingsley and Bill and Charlie combined. Besides, only Merlin knows what he has done to those kids. Have you gotten the parents?"

"Yeah-they'll be there at Diagon Alley."

"Is it safe?" she asked. "The kids won't be there right away anyway."

"Absolutely-our greatest team of aurors will be accompanying you. Arthur, Fred, George, Molly, Ron, and Percy Weasley will be there. So will Remus, Tonks, James, Lily, Harry, Hermione, Frank, Alice, Neville, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Dumbledore, me, and basically everyone else you've ever met."

"I appreciate it."

"We'll be right behind you," he said.

She nodded. "Which outfit do you think will enrage my father the most? The Gryffindor T-shirt?"

He laughed. "Why not the brown long-sleeved one? It looks like a muggle thing."

"But that's my favorite!" she complained. "I don't want to get it all bloody and torn!" Nonetheless, she pulled off her nightshirt and put the brown one on. She pondered for a moment, then muttered something, tapping her shirt with her wand.

_Fidelis donec finis._ Loyal until the end. The words wrapped around the wrists of her sleeves.

"Faded jeans, I think," she said, selecting a pair and putting those on. She also took a pair of white socks and white tennis shoes.

She grinned. "Do I look like a muggle?" she asked. She summoned her brush with her wand and brushed through her hair. She pulled it back into a low ponytail.

"Most beautiful muggle I ever saw," he said.

"Shut it," she said, though without much emphasis. The whole party that was coming with her arrived.

"It's time to go," Remus said, sounding slightly sad.

Alex sighed and held out her wand to Timothy. "Hold onto this for me, will you?" She gave her wand to him and Remus gave her the one she had had previously-the one that used to be his.

"Let's go," she said.


	32. Chapter 32

"You've got to be kidding me. He sent _you?_" Alex asked incredulously. Severus Snape was in charge of taking her back. Along with a few others, they were taking her back.

She just wished everybody wasn't staring at her.

Over time, she had become sort of a hero-the girl that had been legendary, who brought back so many prisoners had appeared as a fighter on their side of the war. Now, she was being stared at. _Yay._

He didn't answer.

"Great-my favorite slimeball," she said sarcastically, humming the first few lines of "Snivelly the Hook-Nosed Slimeball"-a song Sirius had taught her.

"Your wand," he said.

"Afraid of getting cursed by a 17-year-old?" she asked. She reached into her back pocket (she had to think of Mad-eye Moody, even though it was too dangerous to bring him along) and brought out her old wand.

He took it and snapped it.

She frowned. "You know-you shouldn't break things that don't belong to you," she said. "Is father afraid of me, now?" she asked.

"The Dark Lord fears no one!" Bellatrix Lestrange shrieked.

Alex snickered, and turned to her friends who were behind her. "You know-after knowing her for a while, her random outbursts praising Voldemort get kind of annoying." She smirked and turned back to Bellatrix. "Are you announcing a wedding anytime soon? Do me a favor-kill me first, because no way do I plan on being a flower girl."

"She always makes jokes when she shouldn't," Timothy muttered from behind her with the others.

"Like Sirius," Remus said quietly.

"You dare speak his name?!" she shrieked.

"Yeah-I do. He _is _a half-blood, I suppose. Maybe that's putting a damper on the wedding. See-his dad was a muggle." She smirked at what Dumbledore had once told her.

"Liar!" she shrieked.

"Bella-do be quiet," Snape said quietly. "Dolohov?"

Dolohov stepped forward and forced Alex around so she faced her group of friends. All the Weasleys-even Ginny-were there that were still free. James, Tonks, Lupin, Lily, James, Harry, and Hermione were also there, with Timothy, of course.

She felt her hands being forced back and the magic handcuffs being painfully tight around her wrists. She felt the magical energy enter her, and she bit her cheek. It was only obvious to her friends in front of her that her eyes showed the pain, and that she tensed against it.

They would also see her arms twitching not just from pain, but because she was so tempted to swing them at Dolohov, nick his wand, and start blasting the rest of the death eaters.

"Take a look at your little heroine!" Bella shrieked, turning her to face the crowd now. She pulled back Alex's left sleeve. "She will always belong to the dark lord! You will never see her again!"

"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use," she said through gritted teeth in a surprisingly casual voice. Bellatrix kicked her and she fell to her knees. Under any other circumstances, she would not have hit the ground, but the pain coursing through her body felt close to the cruciatus.

Somehow, she wound up facing her friends again. She grinned. "If any of you lot get yourselves captured-I'll kill you myself, you hear?"

Everyone stared at her solemnly, unsure what to say. She felt herself being pulled to her feet.

"The prisoners will be here in six hours," Dolohov announced.

"Alex!" Timothy blurted out. He rushed forward, unconscious of the wands pointed at him.

"Don't fire!" Snape ordered.

He stood in front of her, looking into her eyes. Then, he kissed her on the mouth. For a moment, the pain in her body evaporated, and she felt warm again. Then it ended.

"I-will you marry me?" he asked her.

"I-uh-I…" _Why did he have to do this? I answer yes and he's a dead man! I answer no and he'll hate me! Better him hate me then him be dead…_

"Yes," she said. He grinned. _Damn it! What the hell did I just say?_ Was his wand pointed at her?

She felt something solid in her hands clenched together with the handcuffs. She heard Bella shriek with laughter and then a hand gripping her arm painfully tight. Then she was gone.


	33. Chapter 33

"Severus-take the handcuffs off so she can give her father a proper greeting."

"Yes my lord."

The handcuffs loosed and the pain stopped. She slipped the ring onto her finger and rubbed her wrists.

"Leave us," he commanded. She was alone with him.

"_Fidelis donec finis._ Loyal until the end. How _touching_ Alexandra."

"Alex," she corrected. "My name is Alex, Tom."

Anger flashed into his red eyes but then it passed. He noticed the ring.

"What did you do?" he asked in a soft hiss.

"Well I've beat up some death eaters, fought against you…what have you been up to?" she asked.

He came and stood in front of her. She wanted to take a step back but didn't. He grasped her left hand. "What is the ring?"

"Didn't you hear the news?" she asked, yanking her hand away. "I'm getting married."

He slapped her across the face so hard he sent her sprawling. But when she stood, she looked as if nothing had happened, save for the angry red mark on her cheek.

"Who?" he spat.

"Who do you think?" she asked.

He stared angrily at her. "You plan on marrying the mud blood?"

Alex just kept smiling. She glanced at the ring for a moment. It was gold with a tiny red ruby in the middle. She almost laughed.

"You've gone soft," he hissed slowly.

"Thanks for noticing," she replied. "I can still kick death eater butt."

"_Crucio!"_


	34. Chapter 34

He practically dragged her into the room with the prisoners.

All the prisoners were surrounding an object. All looked scared, and all had some blood on them. Some were unconscious but still had a hand in someone else's. Alex shuddered. They were in lines, each hand holding another. She spotted Sirius, and his eyes locked with hers. They were haunted and full of pain, but he smiled at her with an expression that told her he knew exactly what had happened.

Voldemort grabbed her arm and dragged her to Sirius and the other aurors.

"Everyone grab hold of the portkey," he ordered. He grabbed hold as well, holding onto Alex, who held on to Sirius.

"_Portus," _he hissed.


	35. Chapter 35

Every last person appeared in Diagon Alley. There was a loud cheer, but it died down when they saw Voldemort.

Everyone hung onto his words but no one dared to move.

"Look at them Alexandra…" he hissed quietly. Everything hurt. She had been under the crucio for about six hours, she imagined. "These are the people you are trying to protect. Loyal until the end indeed. You have chosen to protect these people, and you must live with that choice. They call you a hero and then they sacrifice you the first moment they get." He gripped her chin so that her head was forced to watch the stunned faces. Her vision swam.

"Alex," she said hoarsely. "My name is Alex."

"You've chosen the wrong side _daughter._ You will lose _everything._ You are on the losing side. _Rumpere Os!"_

She screamed, and he let go of her. She crumpled to the ground as the bone-breaker shattered ribs. The crowd was outraged, and ready to act. He grabbed her arm.

"You will lose." They both disappeared.


	36. Chapter 36

She shivered. He wasn't playing anymore. She was Azkaban's only occupant, but she was glad of it.

_At least no one else is suffering this._

She was so cold, and hungry, and thirsty. Her throat was bleeding from screaming for so long. Her body was covered in dried blood, and she was covered in bruises.

"_The mudblood boy is dead."_

"_No! You said you wouldn't kill him!"_

"_I said I would spare him, and I did. Would you rather Bellatrix have killed him? That would not have spared the boy. He died quickly."_

_The dark mark burned fiercely on her arm. That was the last time she had cried._

She hated these dementors. She longed for the warmth of her dog patronus.

The dementors were leaving, but that did not improve matters. She could already hear the cackling.

Here comes Bella.


	37. Chapter 37

"Timothy-she's fine. It's only been two days," Remus said.

"But that's five more!"

"Timothy's right," Sirius said. "If he's torturing her like he is a prisoner, and I'm sure he is, then it has already been an eternity to her. Why are you waiting seven days anyway?"

"Because that's when the port key will activate," Tonks said.

"Why not sooner?" Hermione asked.

"Because we had no way of knowing when the prisoners would be set free. Alex suggested _at least_ a week," James said.

"When she gets back, I'm going to kill her," Sirius said.

"Here's to that," Timothy said. "Did I tell you she said she'd marry me Sirius?"

"What?" he asked.

He grinned slightly. "Yeah-she was about to leave and I kissed her and asked if she'd marry me and she said yes. I gave her a ring and everything."

Sirius grinned. "I was gone, like a month," he said. "I can't believe I missed it!"

"Let's just hope there's going to be a wedding," Timothy said solemnly.


	38. Chapter 38

Not even the ring could make her feel warmer anymore. Nonetheless, she twirled it around her finger, pretending she could see it, and that it wasn't too dark.

Moments later, she felt herself being pulled out of the room.

"All clear!" Mad-eye shouted.

"Alex!" Timothy yelled, and ran into the room.

He rolled her over onto her back and she let out a howl of pain, which turned into a coughing fit of blood.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" he said. He drew his hands away, not wanting to touch her again.

They got her to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey told everyone to go away. A _lot_ of people were there.

"No…" she groaned, coughing. "Timothy…"

"I'll stay, Alex," he said. Her hand twitched and he grabbed hold of it. She whimpered in pain but when he heard and almost let go, she gripped it with all her strength, and he barely felt her hand squeeze his.

"I'm right here," he whispered.


	39. Chapter 39

It took hours of falling in and out of consciousness. Sometimes, the healing made her bleeding throat scream so loudly, he thought it must have hurt worse than what actually happened.

Then she was resting, and the Dark Mark burned. It burned for hours and hours, but slowly, it started to get dimmer, until it was no longer than and her skin was her own. The only remnants of the Mark was a pale scar where it had been _carved_ into her skin.

She slept for four days straight.

"Hey Alex," he said when she finally opened her eyes. He smiled. "Do you still plan on marrying me?"

"I said I would," she said hoarsely. "But I've been…damaged." And so she was. Bellatrix had left physical scars, and Merlin knew what the dementors had done to her.

"You're never damaged," he said, and cupped her cheek with his hand. He kissed her on the mouth gently, though she still winced from the contact on her bruised face.

"I love you," he said.

"I…love…you too."


End file.
